


Better Late Than Never

by deviance



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: AU, And i will finish it, Fluff, Gen, Im not giving up on it, M/M, Mild Angst, Slow Build, eventually, haitus, sorry people
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-10
Updated: 2016-08-29
Packaged: 2018-02-24 21:35:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 25,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2597228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deviance/pseuds/deviance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kagami has never touched a basketball before in his life and after moving back to Japan, he isn't really sure how to go about making new friends. But maybe the blue-haired boy he was randomly challenged by to play a one-on-one will be able to fix that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as a drabble on tumblr but I've written a bit more in it so I figured I'd post it here.

_“Hey! You’re Kagami Taiga, right?”_

_The redhead looked up, seeing the smiling face of another boy with one of his eyes covered by his hair. Then it occurred to him that the other had been speaking Japanese. His eyes widened; since he’d moved to America he hadn’t really made any friends since he didn’t speak English all that well. Maybe this guy could be his friend!_

_“I’m Himuro Tatsuya. I’m from the year above you. Why are you walking alone?”_

_“I…haven’t really made any friends yet. I don’t know how to speak English all that well so it’s kind of difficult,” the redhead answered. The other frowned, thinking._

_“Have you tried showing them who you are?”_

_“Huh?” Taiga didn’t understand._

_Tatsuya smiled. “You have to show everyone who are you. Like what you’re good at. See?” He showed up the orange ball in his hands. “I’m good at basketball, so that’s how I made friends.”_

_“Oh,” Taiga answered, before smiling. “I’m pretty good at surfing,” he thought aloud._

_Tatsuya grinned excitedly. “Then you need to meet other surfers!” he declared. Taiga laughed, excited at making friends, before pausing._

_“But…we can still be friends too, right?” he asked nervously._

_“Of course!” Tatsuya agreed, as they began talking about all sorts of things as they walked home._

(——-present——-)

Kagami sighed, walking down the street back home. Since coming back to Japan for high school, he once again wasn’t sure about the best way to meet new people. He usually came off kind of intimidating and scared off other people by accident. And it wasn’t like there was anywhere to surf around Tokyo, so he couldn’t make friends that way. Maybe Seiren had a swimming team or something he could join; he wasn’t bad at that…

Aomine was bored. He flicked the basketball into the net easily, wondering what to do. It was boring just shooting by himself; basketball in general was getting boring. He’d skipped Touou’s practice, since today it was just tryouts anyways and he already had a secure spot as a starter on the team. He wished someone would show up; someone who could challenge him like Tetsu used to promise. He wanted a rival. Someone he could play his best against. He didn’t want to give up on basketball—it was his life—but he was finding himself very close to that point and he hated it.

Turning with a sigh to go collect the ball and head home, he paused, his eyes catching something red walking down the street. As he stared, he realized it was a guy. He studied him for a minute. His build looked similar to his…maybe he played basketball?

“Oi!” Aomine called out, earning the other’s attention. He paused, staring at him in confusion.

“Me?” he asked. Aomine rolled his eyes.

“See anyone else around here? Come play me! One on one,” he offered. Seriously, he must be bored if he was just challenging random strangers on the street. This guy probably wasn’t that good anyways. He’d probably give up after he realized how good Aomine was.

“Uh,” the redhead began, stepping through the fence and onto the court. Aomine tossed him the ball and he caught it, though he was spinning it in his hands as he looked down at it. “I’ve…never actually played basketball before,” the other admitted, looking up at Aomine nervously.

Aomine stared. “Seriously? Huh. You looked like you did,” he spoke, shrugging. “Want to play anyways? I’m bored. Maybe you’ll be somewhat decent.” He squashed down that hope from inside his chest; no one was going to beat him, especially not someone who’d never played before. The only one who could beat him was himself.

“I guess,” the other agreed, dropping his bag off the court beside the other’s before dribbling a few times, getting a feel for the ball. Aomine let him, wondering just what he’d try. Probably something generic, like a shot from the free throw line or something.

Aomine was jerked out of that thought when the guy tried to rush past him towards the goal, only Aomine’s instincts preventing him from succeeding. He frowned, eyeing the other curiously. Was he trying to do a lay-up?

Kagami watched the other guy seriously. He’d really never played, but he had watched a few games with Tatsuya before the other had moved back to Japan. The game was simple enough, even seemed kind of interesting. And it was obvious the guy in front of him was good. He could almost smell his power, if that was possible. He just had an aura about him. So he really doubted he’d win, but he’d like to at least score.

Kagami tried to fake him out, going to the right before jerking back to the left. Then he turned, trying to go back to the right before the other could react, only to realize that the ball was no longer in his hands. “Huh?” he mumbled, before jerking into gear and rushing after the other who was already almost to the basket. He jumped, skimming the ball with his fingers before the other dunked the ball.

“Eh, you’re actually not horrible,” the guy stated as Kagami went to get the ball.

“Let me try again,” Kagami demanded, dribbling a few times, seriousness in his eyes. He was going to get past the other male this time.

Aomine smirked, crouching into a defensive position in front of him. The guy was interesting and seemed to possess some natural talent, but he had never practiced it and thus was easy to stop. After his fifteenth basket, Aomine was almost ready to call it quits, figuring the new guy would probably give up soon anyways. 

“One more time,” Kagami demanded, eyes still holding that stubborn fire as he growled out the order, dribbling low. Aomine was literally witnessing the guy evolve, getting better and better through their match, though he was still unable to defeat him.

“You aren’t tired yet?” Aomine asked, raising a brow.

“Why would I be? I want to score,” Kagami growled, glaring at the other boy.

“Do you even know how to shoot?” Aomine mocked, making the other boy’s scowl deepened.

“Shut up and play me!” the redhead shouted, rushing to the other’s left, not even trying to fake since it made no difference, instead trying to win with sheer speed. He kept the ball low, spinning at the last second to keep Aomine was stealing it as he’d been about to. He turned, jumping and raising his right hand with the ball, going for the basket. Except Aomine’s hand came up too, blocking the path and smacking the ball away effortlessly.

“Dammit,” Kagami cursed, landing on his feet and looking down.

Aomine sighed. This would be it. This would be when he’d give up, he’d offer excuses of ‘Well of course; I’ve never played so obviously you’re better’, and he’d just stop trying.

“Hey,” Kagami spoke, voice less rough than it had been. Aomine braced himself for it, already feeling the disappointment welling up. He’d liked the look in this guy’s eyes, at least for a little while he’d seen determined, even if he knew he couldn’t win.

“Could you teach me how to play?”

Aomine opened his mouth to deliver some retort, some scathing remark on how he wasn’t surprised he was giving up, before he realized that was not what the redhead said.

“Hah?” he asked, eyes widening.

“Could you teach me how to play basketball?” Kagami asked again, nervousness in his stomach. “Cause I mean, you’re really awesome. And this is fun, even if I’m kind of horrible.”

Aomine stared at him. Teach him? Basketball? Wait, he was having fun even though he was losing?

“I mean, if you don’t want to, I guess that makes sense,” Kagami murmured, rubbing the back of his head nervously and looking down at his shoes. “I just…I thought if you taught me I could be more of a challenge for you. And then we could both have fun.”

_…and then we could both have fun…_

Aomine honestly did not know what was with this guy, but he hated the fact that he could feel hope spring up in his chest. He tried desperately to squash it down, but it wasn’t working. Would it even be possible for this guy to ever challenge Aomine? Even Kise hadn’t been able to beat him and he’d also been a miracle. And this was just some random guy he’d seen on the street.

“So, um…what do you say?” Kagami asked, glancing up quickly to meet Aomine’s eyes.

No, Aomine thought, meeting those anxious red eyes. This is a bad idea. I’m not doing this. This is stupid. The only one who can beat me is me.

“Alright,” he agreed, nearly biting off his tongue. Stupid! What did you just—Aomine’s self-cursing rant stuttered to a stop, blinded as he was by the stunning smile he’d just received from the redhead.

“Thanks so much!” Kagami beamed, feeling happiness in his chest. He’d done it, somehow. He’d made a friend. Finally, after being back in Japan for two weeks and going to Seirin for one. “My name’s Kagami Taiga, by the way,” he offered his hand, still grinning.

The other’s palm slid almost reluctantly into his hand. “Aomine Daiki.”


	2. Chapter 2

Kagami growled, staring up at the motionless basket.

“You’re too stiff,” Aomine instructed him disinterestedly, reclining on the bleachers and flipping through a magazine while occasionally looking up to criticize something the redhead was doing.

“I know!” Kagami shouted, exasperated with himself. He’d been practicing for almost an hour now—not to mention this was his fourth day practicing with the blunette—and there was barely any improvement. Well, none that he could see, though Aomine said he was ‘a little less horrible’, which he supposed was good.

“Try not thinking about it,” Aomine offered in a lazy drawl, ending with a yawn and stretching as he looked up to watch him follow his instructions.

Kagami took the ball to the half court line, dribbling it as he lowered his sense of gravity, eyes seeing an invisible Aomine defending the basket. Glaring at the imagined rival, he took off for the net, working his footwork and dribbling as well. As he neared the basket, he automatically jumped as high as he could, losing control of the ball as it wobbled due to his horrible handling with his left hand. It slammed into the backboard before bouncing to the other side of the court. He grumbled under his breath, going to fetch it angrily before returning.

“I think you’re getting higher,” Aomine observed, staring at his legs with furrowed brows. “Maybe you just need to loosen up,” he mumbled, more to himself, before getting up and stretching his arms behind his head. “Alright, let’s play a game. First to ten. Then you can go back to practicing.”

“Seriously?” Kagami asked, eyes suddenly brighter than before. His favorite part about practicing with Aomine was when the blunette would actually decide to play him. His play was sometimes so amazing Kagami couldn’t do anything but stare. He was truly an awesome player.

“Yeah, seriously, cause you’re still shit at scoring. You can’t even dunk right,” Aomine mocked, smirking as that familiar fire flared up in those red eyes. Aomine hated that he was getting used to it, watching the redhead get a little bit better after every one of their ‘sessions’ and having to keep the hope squashed. He’d skipped practice every day this week just to come help the redhead, genuinely surprised that he was having fun just hanging out with the idiot, even if he sucked at basketball. They had a lot of common, actually, and the redhead already had a passion for basketball that Aomine hadn’t felt in a long time. 

“Just watch me dunk this ball right over your head,” Kagami growled, sounding almost like a wild tiger as Aomine waited for his attack. He denied it, but he could still feel that niggling hope, that maybe one day Kagami’s boast might actually come true. 

It wasn’t that day, however, as Aomine easily scored ten points, Kagami unable to get one. He hissed under his breath, a sound Aomine honestly hadn’t heard anyone else make before, which made him laugh out loud. 

“Are you hissing? Like a cat?” he laughed, Kagami glaring at him.

“I am not!” the redhead denied, a blush crossing his nose and cheeks as he glared.

“You totally were!” Aomine stated, still laughing. “Just like a real tiger, huh, Taiga?” he mocked, making the redhead’s face blush darker, matching his hair.

“Shut up, Aho!” he yelled, snatching the ball from Aomine’s hands while he was busy laughing. The blunette reacted slowly, watching as the redhead soared up high and slammed the ball into the net in anger. Aomine blinked. Then he smirked.

“Are you telling me you have to be embarrassed to play decent?” he teased, making the redhead blush even more as his obvious embarrassment was pointed out.

“No!” Kagami denied.

“Oh this is priceless,” Aomine murmured, wiping at a tear. “Poor little Bakagami can’t play unless he throws a temper tantrum.”

“That’s not it!” Kagami yelled, before his mouth slammed shut and he nearly bit his tongue before saying the next words he’d thought. Somehow, he got the feeling that the other wouldn’t react well to the words.

_Well at least I have fun when I’m playing!_

Aomine didn’t need him to say it though, hearing the words anyway. It wouldn’t be the first time someone had yelled that at him in anger before storming off a court. Except Kagami wasn’t leaving. The blunette sighed, walking over to the bleacher and sitting back down, snatching up his magazine. 

“Start practicing free throws again,” he ordered, hearing the other mimic his sigh before the dribbling of a ball met his ears. He leaned back, closing his eyes as he focused on the sounds of the ball hitting the court, the backboard, or even the swishing in the net when Kagami got it right. It was familiar. It was relaxing. 

Kagami shot the ball until the street lights came on, the darkness hitting him all at once. “Woah, it’s late,” he realized, dribbling the ball before turning to where Aomine had been silent for a while. His eyes widened; he was asleep. Kagami frowned, checking his phone. He didn’t know where the other lived, but his house was just a block down. Plus, it was a Friday. Shrugging, he walked over to the bleachers, grabbing for his bag and kicking Aomine’s foot. “Oi,” he called out. 

“Hah?” Aomine mumbled, throwing a hand over his face before he sat up lazily. “Damn, it’s late. What time is it even?” he asked, taking in the darkness as he stood up and stretched, yawning.

“Past nine,” Kagami informed him as he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder, reaching out for the ball in Kagami’s hands. The redhead had had to borrow the other’s, since he didn’t exactly own one himself. He needed to go buy one.

“Shit,” Aomine cursed, frowning as he dug his phone out, wincing at the two missed calls from his mom and multiple calls and texts from Satsuki.

“Hey, since it’s Friday and I’m guessing you live a bit away from here, want to just stay at my place for the night? It’s only a block that way,” Kagami offered as they both started to walk off the court.

Aomine seemed to consider it, looking at the redhead before looking back at his phone with a scowl. Then he shrugged, dialing a number and putting his phone up to his ear, wincing and pulling it away a bit as the other person answered and started yelling at him. “Mom, I’m sorry, okay?” He interrupted, still walking beside Kagami who was unsure on whether his invitation had been accepted or not. “I was out playing basketball with Kagami. Yeah, I know. I won’t do it again.” He hummed a few more times, nodding his head as if agreeing. Then his voice got more hesitant. “Well, actually, since it’s so late and there’s no school tomorrow, I was just going to stay over at his place.” A pause. “I guess so,” he answered, though Kagami wasn’t sure what he was answering, even though he was trying hard not to eavesdrop even with the other walking right beside him. “Alright, yeah, I’ll call you when I head home tomorrow. Okay. Yeah, I will. Alright, mom. I’m not a kid,” he whined. “Fine, goodnight,” he ended the call, pocketing his phone before slinging his arm around Kagami’s neck, which the redhead was learning was a habit of his. 

“Well I hope your parents are cool with me staying the night,” the blunette decreed.

“Actually, I live by myself,” Kagami answered, startling when he was suddenly jerked to a stop by Aomine’s hold turning to steel. Blue eyes bored into his.

“You live alone? Seriously?”

“Yeah,” Kagami shrugged. “My dad had to stay in America for his job, so it’s just me.”

“That’s pretty sweet,” the blunette stated as they started walking again.

“It’s okay, I guess. Even in America my dad was busy a lot, so I don’t really a notice a difference,” he admitted, just as they arrived to his apartment. He unlocked the door, toeing off his shoes before heading straight to the kitchen. “You want anything?”

“I’m starving actually,” Aomine admitted, frowning a bit as he walked in to see the almost barren living room. It hardly looked lived in. He shut the door, kicking off his shoes and straightening both his and the redhead’s by habit, something ingrained in him by his mother. 

“Yeah, me too. I can get dinner started and you can take a shower. I’m pretty sure my clothes will fit you, so you can just change into those,” Kagami offered, heading down the hallway and into his room. He grabbed a pair of basketball shorts and a simple t-shirt before showing Aomine the bathroom. “Here’s the bathroom. Towels and everything is under the sink,” he informed him.

“Alright, thanks,” the blunette called out over his shoulder as he stepped into the small bathroom, closing the door.

Kagami wasn’t really sure what the other would like, so he figured he’d just go with hamburgers since that was easy. Plus, how could anyone not like hamburgers? Turning the stove on to get it heated, he went and washed his hands before setting about getting the burgers patted out and seasoned.

When Aomine stepped out of the bathroom, he instantly smelled something delicious cooking. Nearly drooling as his stomach growled hungrily, he threw his dirty clothes on his bag before traipsing to the counter, sitting on one of the barstools and trying to see what Kagami was making.

“Dude,” he began, surprised, “You’re, like, really cooking.”

Kagami raised a brow, flipping a burger. He didn’t think he needed to respond to that.

“And it actually smells good,” Aomine felt the need to add.

“Yeah, and?” Kagami finally asked, checking the buns that were toasting in the over. Nodding to himself, he went to pull them out, everything almost done now.

“I wouldn’t have pegged you as someone who can cook, is all,” Aomine shrugged. Kagami thought about taking offense to that, but as he’d learned, you had to pick your battles with the blunette and honestly most people were surprised when they learned he could cook.

“I live by myself. If I didn’t learn how to cook I’d be eating ramen and take-out all the time,” he explained simply, taking the food to the table where Aomine followed.

“You know,” Aomine started, sitting down and staring at the mountain of hamburgers. “I know I said I was starving, but I didn’t mean it literally. You didn’t have to cook so much.”

“Huh? But this is normal,” Kagami stated, frowning a bit as they said thanks before beginning to dig in.

Aomine couldn’t help but stare at the other, complete disbelief on his face as he was quickly devouring his sixteenth burger. He remembered the other saying the amount was ‘normal’ but he hadn’t really realized the implications of that statement until he’d finished his seventh hamburger and realized the other was still going strong.

“You’re done?” Kagami asked, surprised, his cheeks full of food.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, stupid,” Aomine chastised. “And what are you even made of? How are you still eating?”

“I always eat this much,” Kagami admitted, looking at the burger in his hands, frowning. “I don’t think it’s weird,” he added, before chowing down on the seventeenth burger. Aomine was counting. 

“Oh, it’s definitely weird. You must have a black hole as a stomach or something.”

“Shut up, Aho. I do not,” Kagami denied, finally— _finally_ —finishing with burger number eighteen and leaning back, patting his stomach with a grin. “Ah, I’m full.”

“I’d imagine,” Aomine mumbled, eyeing his stomach dubiously, earning him a glare.

“So what’d you think? Good, right?” Kagami asked, raising a brow.

“Fishing for compliments now, Bakagami?” the blunette teased, making the redhead scowl.

“No,” he denied, though he was still clearly waiting for an answer.

Aomine shrugged. “It was pretty good. Would have been better if they were teriyaki burgers though.”

“Teriyaki…?” Kagami echoed, frowning. “I don’t think I’ve ever tried that. Maybe I’ll do that next time.”

Next time. Meaning Aomine would be over again. He wasn’t sure why he felt excited at that prospect.

“Want to play some video games after this?” the redhead suggested, getting up to bring their plates to the sink. He grabbed a rag to start washing, looking over his shoulder to see where the other was going only to see him grabbing a towel and starting to dry the wet dishes.

“Sure,” Aomine agreed, drying the dishes quickly yet effectively. Another habit from his mother.

“I just got that new first-person shooter, Crown, so we can play that.”

“Dude, I’ve been dying to play that game!” Aomine stated, smirking as they continued to send ribbing comments to each other, laughing as they started pushing each other a bit. 

Once they finished, they raced into the living room, Kagami setting up the system as Aomine took a spot on the couch. Then it became an all-out war, yelling and cursing each other out as they laughed and mocked one another. 

It was the most fun Aomine had had in a long time.


	3. Chapter 3

“Hey, Satsuki,” Aomine began Monday morning as they started for school together.

“Good morning, Aomine-kun,” she greeted, smiling brightly.

Aomine frowned in thought, wondering if he should ask. He knew she’d probably know the answer to his question, but there’s no way she’d just let it drop if he asked her a random question about a rival school. Shrugging internally and deciding to get this over with—the problem had been bothering him since leaving Kagami’s house Saturday afternoon—he asked her, “What’s Seirin’s basketball team like?”

Momoi looked up at Aomine in surprised. He never took interest in rival schools, so she was surprised he’d asked her. Of course, she had a lot of information on Seirin; she’d been especially thorough with the schools the other Miracles had gone to and that one was were her beloved Tetsu-kun had gone. 

“They have a pretty new team,” she began. “They just got started last year so there’s only a few players, though they made it all the way to the preliminaries of the Interhigh before losing to the three kings. They didn’t get much new talent this year, though that’s the school Tetsu-kun decided to go to, so they’ll probably do even better this year. Well, if their center from last year is able to make a comeback; he hurt his knee in the preliminaries last year and has been in therapy since then.” She paused, eyeing Aomine who seemed to be taking all this in and thinking about it seriously, which was a bit uncharacteristic of him. Though asking about another team in general was odd for the blunette. “Why do you ask, Aomine-kun?”

“Just wondering,” Aomine brushed her off. “I didn’t realize that was the school Tetsu went to though. That might be a good thing. I’ll have to let K—” Aomine nearly bit his tongue, cutting himself off abruptly. He wasn’t sure why he was keeping his friendship with Kagami a secret, but he felt it was necessary. For some reason, he wanted to keep the redhead to himself, even if that was a stupid idea.

“You’ll have to let…?” Momoi repeated, clearly trying to prompt him to continue. Aomine just waved the question off, making her pout as they entered the school grounds.

\-----break-----

“You’ve sort of got the basics down now,” Aomine spoke, interrupting Kagami’s shot. The ball still went in though, making the blunette smirk. He really was getting better by the day. He strangled the hope and the smirk, forcing a neutral expression on his face. “You should try out for Seirin’s basketball team.”

“Really?” Kagami asked, sounding surprised. He dribbled the ball, seemingly in thought. “You think I’m good enough?”

“Well you won’t be beating me,” Aomine teased, grinning as Kagami scowled at him. But then he shrugged, standing and walking onto the court. “But you’re fairly okay now. About average, I’d guess. You could probably get a starting position at Seirin, since their team’s pretty small. Plus, it’s only been two weeks since school started, so you wouldn’t be too far behind on practices.”

“Wouldn’t practice be after school though? When would you teach me?” Kagami asked, before frowning. “Actually, aren’t you on Touou’s team? Don’t you have practice after school? How are you able to meet me here every day?”

“What’s the whole point of me teaching you how to play if we never get to go against each other in an official match though?” Aomine returned the question with a question, ignoring the other ones. He didn’t really want Kagami to know how much he’d grown bored of basketball. Really, he was almost betting what was left of his passion on Kagami one day beating him, which honestly scared him a bit. After all, the only one who could beat him was himself. 

“I guess you’ve got a point,” Kagami agreed reluctantly, before sighing and dribbling again, eyes turning to the basket as he made a shot. He was casual in his movements and he scowled when Aomine felt the need to block the shot, grinning mockingly at the glaring redhead. 

“We could still meet up here on Saturdays,” Aomine offered, taking the ball and dribbling lazily, watching Kagami crouch in defense in front of him. “And after practices during the week, if you aren’t too worn out. What with your pathetic stamina,” Aomine added, faking Kagami out easily and jumping, floating almost horizontal as he formlessly shot the ball, grinning as it went in despite’s Kagami’s best attempt to block the shot.

“You’re on, Ahomine!” the redhead yelled, getting into their one-on-one as they played back and forth. Kagami still wasn’t able to score on the blunette, but he was getting a bit better at keeping Aomine from winning so quickly. Aomine considered that progress.

\-----break-----

The next day found Kagami shuffling awkwardly before the girl in front of him. “I was…uh, told you were the couch of the basketball team,” he began nervously, not sure what to say. After all, most clubs had already had their deadlines for new members signing up. 

“Yes,” she nodded, studying him.

“I,” Kagami sighed. _If I don’t get on the team it’s going to be a whole year before I can play Aomine_ , he thought, frowning. Straightening himself up, he met her gaze determinedly. “I’d like to join the basketball team. I realize it’s late but allow me to join. Please,” he tagged on at the end, realizing that request was worded a bit rudely, especially for Japan. He’d picked up a lot of bad habits in America. He ran his fingers through his hair, once again feeling anxious. Maybe he should have been nicer? Thought about what he was going to say before seeking her out?

“Take off your shirt.”

Kagami started, staring at her surprised. “Huh?” he asked. Had he heard her right?

“You heard me. Take off your shirt,” she ordered, crossing her arms and looking annoyed. Kagami looked around the empty hallway leading to the gym—the place he’d stopped her—before slowly grabbing his shirt and pulling it over his head. It wasn’t as if he was embarrassed, he just wasn’t sure what this had to do with anything. She started at him for a moment, her eyes a bit brighter as she nodded to herself. Then she looked up at him, smiling. “Alright, you can come to practice and I’ll see what you can do. Then we can figure out if you have what it takes to make the team,” she announced, turning and leading him towards the gym. Kagami tugged his shirt back on, rushing after her.

“Why did I have to take my shirt off?” he asked her. 

“I was looking at your numbers. You favor your right side and seem to still be shaping your muscles for basketball—you haven’t played much before, have you?—but overall you have good basics and should be able to improve quickly.”

Kagami stared at her in wonder. “You got all that from looking at my chest?” he asked in disbelief.

She grinned, before pushing open the doors and leading him into the gym, ignoring his question and making him scowl. “Sorry I’m late, everyone,” she called out, earning the attention of the boys already practicing. She jerked her thumb behind her, pointing to Kagami. “I was stopped by a potential new member.” Now everyone looked at Kagami.

“Uh, hi,” he greeted, waving a bit, unsure of what he was supposed to do. “I’m Kagami Taiga.”

“I’m the captain, Hyuuga Junpei,” a guy wearing glasses answered, making a three-pointer before turning to study the newcomer.

“I’m Koganei Shinji and this is Mitobe Rinnosuke,” another boy introduced himself, smiling brightly, before gesturing to a silent, taller boy who waved amiably. 

“I’m Izuki Shun. Did you _pass_ on another club and decide to make the basketball club your _rebound_?” he asked, grinning.

“Izuki,” the coach groaned, face-palming.

“That was horrible,” Hyuuga added, scowling. “Enough with the puns.”

Izuki was too busy writing in his notebook to respond, muttering about how good that one was.

“Excuse me.”

Kagami yelped at the new voice coming from directly behind him, jumping and turning to see who it was. He stared down at the pale boy who looked up at him curiously. “When’d you get there?” the redhead asked brutishly.

“I’ve been here the whole time, Kagami-kun. My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. Nice you meet you,” he spoke calmly, unperturbed by Kagami’s surprise to his appearance. He went to join the others just as the doors opened and four more players filed in.

“Looks like everyone’s here now,” the coach stated, nodding to herself and blowing her whistle to have them all join her. “Alright, let’s start today’s practice!” 

“What are you standing around in your uniform for?” the captain asked him, earning Kagami’s attention. “Go change and get back here. Quickly!” he ordered, and the redhead rushed to follow, wondering what he was getting into.

\-----break-----

“So they’re going to let me join,” Kagami told Aomine later that afternoon, the two of them lazily playing ‘Horse’ since he was still tired from practice. The redhead actually wasn’t horrible at it, though he already had two letters and Aomine had none. Kagami was beginning to think it was impossible for the blunette to miss, no matter where or how he shot.

“Good,” Aomine nodded, shooting the ball with one hand and smirking at the swish. Kagami scowled, getting the ball and shooting in the same manner. It wobbled on the rim before falling out. “‘R’”, Aomine drawled, making the redhead glare.

They two continued the game until Kagami got his last letter, the redhead sighing—not even surprised—as he grabbed the ball, both of them gathering up their things. He handed over the ball to Aomine before capturing the other’s eyes, determination in his eyes. “I’m going to beat you, Aomine. One day,” he vowed, making a promise between them then. Aomine smirked, taking the ball in his hands.

 _I look forward to it, Kagami_ , was unsaid with his lips, but the redhead could see it in his eyes. He smirked back.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having way too much fun with this. I'm trying to at least loosely stick to canon, so maybe there won't be any complaints.
> 
> Can this even still be called a drabble?

The week went by quickly, both of the boys just deciding to meet Saturday instead of after practice every day, since Kagami was usually too tired to play an actual game. Not that Aomine went to practice every day. Actually, he’d only been twice, once to check out of the new team members before leaving early and a second time to get a magazine he’d forgotten the first time, though that time had ended with a short altercation with another of his teammates and him breaking a hoop. He wasn’t interested in going back again.  
And yet, despite how bored basketball was making him, he still found himself getting up before noon on Saturday to meet Kagami at the street court at ten. The redhead was already there, practicing his shooting with his own basketball—he’d finally bought one of his own—and Aomine was pleased to see he wasn’t missing.

“Ready to get beat?” Aomine spoke by way of greeting, dropping his things on the bleachers and walking onto the court, grinning.

“Bring it on, Aomine,” Kagami accepted the challenge, grinning himself. Aomine felt happiness at the look. Kagami knew how good he was, knew he wouldn’t be able to beat him, and yet he was still excited to play him. Even if he wasn’t the rival Aomine needed, he was a good opponent. His enthusiasm for the game was contagious and helped stir the dying embers of Aomine’s own passion.

They played for over two hours, both boys scoring this time, though Aomine won each of their games. He was glad to see Kagami getting better though, even managing to score a couple of times. He could tell Kagami was pleased by this too, the redhead trying even harder with every play to stop Aomine, his eyes getting better at reading the blunette’s moves and making Aomine have to use more and more of his speed. He felt his chest lighter, his body sweating and panting just slightly as he felt his muscles burn from a workout they hadn’t had in a long time. Aomine couldn’t remember the last time he’d played basketball for such a long period of time, let alone against the same opponent. He would usually get tired of his opponent’s predictability or lack of passion. But Kagami was relentless, always coming back with more determination, more fire in those eyes, more tricks up his sleeve. He literally got better as the game wore on, making Aomine work harder and harder to block his shots. 

It was great.

When they paused, both panting—though Kagami more-so than Aomine—it was Kagami’s stomach that made them realize how long they’d been playing, the loud growl making both of them look confused for a moment. It was like they’d forgotten everything but basketball. The redhead laughed, stretching his sore muscles and grinning happily.

“Want to go to Maji and then play some more?” he suggested.

“Why don’t we get Maji and go play some video games or something at your place?” Aomine suggested instead.

Kagami grinned, throwing his arm around the other’s neck as they both started for the hamburger place. “Tired already?” he teased, laughing.

“You’re way more tired than me,” Aomine mocked, before shoving him off. “And get off me; I don’t care if you’re too tired to stand on your own, you’re sweaty.” He laughed as Kagami stumbled as he suddenly loss his support, though he grabbed the other’s arm as he almost fell into the street, steadying him.

“You’re sweaty too,” Kagami pointed out, before frowning. “And why don’t you want to play more?”

“Because it’s boring if I always win,” Aomine drawled, shrugging as they entered Maji. Kagami seemed to be thinking about something so the blunette ordered first, paying and taking his food before heading over to a table. Kagami sat across from him shortly after, a mountain of burgers on his plate. Aomine didn’t even comment, just rolling his eyes before starting his own meal. They two were silent for a while, Aomine idly wondering what the redhead was thinking so hard about, before Kagami seemed to knock himself out of it, attacking his food with the usual gusto once more.

“So Coach has us a practice match set up against Kaijou in two weeks,” Kagami announced, Aomine’s nose scrunching in disgust as bits of hamburger flew from his mouth.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Aomine ordered, shoving a napkin in the other’s face. The redhead had the presence to look embarrassed, accepting the napkin before chewing and swallowing. Then he continued. 

“There’s supposed to be some strong guy on their team. From the ‘Generation of Miracles’ or whatever. I didn’t actually listen to everything Coach was talking about, but they sound really strong.”

Aomine nearly spat out his drink, laughing loudly.

“What?” Kagami asked, scowling.

“That was my team,” Aomine stated, smirking, “from Teiko Middle School. We took the championship all three years.”

“Seriously?” Kagami asked, eyes wide. “That’s amazing!”

Aomine shrugged. “I guess. But if you’re going against Kaijou, that would be Kise’s team. He’s pretty good,” he acknowledged. “Not as good as me, but definitely strong enough to beat you.”

“Like hell!” Kagami yelled, before lowering his voice, realizing he had gained a bit of attention. “I’ve already decided. I’m going to train and beat all of the miracles. And if you’re one of them, then fine, cause I was playing on beating you anyways.”

Aomine almost laughed again. Kagami was great, really.

“Nothing’s stopping you from trying. But there’s no way someone who up to two weeks ago hadn’t touched a basketball is going to beat me.”

“Just watch me, Ahomine!” Kagami declared, once again raising his voice too loudly.

“What’d you call me, Bakagami?” Aomine yelled back, before both of them came to their senses and lowered their voices. “Hurry up and stuff those burgers down your throat so we can go,” Aomine said, already done as he waited for Kagami to finish his last five hamburgers.

“Shut up, Aho,” Kagami growled, unwrapping another burger. “That eager to get beat at Crown?”

“You were cheating last time; there’s no way you’ll beat me again,” Aomine defended, standing as Kagami took a few gulps of his drink to finish up. Then he too stood, following Aomine out of the restaurant.

“Just watch me,” Kagami declared.

“You won’t beat me. You probably couldn’t even beat me to your place,” Aomine mocked, making Kagami nearly growl.

“Is that a challenge?” he demanded.

Aomine raised a brow, taking in Kagami’s serious face before smirking. “If it is?” he asked.

“Then put your money where your mouth is,” Kagami stated, smirking. “Last one to my house has to pay for Maji next time.”

Aomine’s eyes widened, imagining the bill that would come from having to pay for food for Kagami. But then he shook those thoughts; no way he’d lose. The only thing that would happen would be him getting free food.

“Alright, you’ve got a deal,” he agreed. “Just remember I like four teriyaki burgers, two sides of fries, and a large drink,” he instructed.

“You remember I like fifteen cheeseburgers, three orders of fries, and a large drink,” Kagami grunted back before they both took off down the street, earning a lot of looks as it wasn’t often people saw two large teenage boys running down the street like their lives depended on it.

“Aomine-kun?” Momoi spoke, more to herself, as she stared at the blunette racing down the opposite side of the street as her. He was laughing, smiling slightly even, while being chasing closely by a cursing redhead. She frowned, having just a few moments to study the other boy before they both disappeared around a corner. She thought she knew all of Aomine’s friends, but who was that?

Kagami cheered as he stepped into his house, listening to the cursing Aomine trail in behind him. 

“You cheated!” Aomine accused, closing the door and kicking off his shoes, straightening them with his foot.

“I did not! It’s not like I pushed you into the fruit display!” Kagami defended, still laughing.

“You distracted me!” Aomine stated.

“By warning you?” Kagami asked, humor in his eyes as Aomine continued to shout curses and accusations, making the redhead laugh even harder. “I look forward to free Maji next time,” Kagami bragged, making the blunette sweat drop. How was his wallet going to survive feeding such a glutton?

“Double or nothing!” Aomine declared, eyeing the game system. “Whoever loses at Crown has to pay for the other to eat at Maji twice!” 

Kagami seemed to think this over for a bit before grinning. “Alright.”

Satisfied that he’d saved his wallet, Aomine was offered the first shower. When he got out, having changed into Kagami’s clothes once more, he decided to get in some practice time while the redhead took his shower. Kagami smirked as he entered the living room once more only to hear Aomine cursing as his character was killed. He was going to enjoy those free meals.

\-----break-----

“I fucking hate this game,” Aomine growled, crossing his arms and pouting as Kagami killed his character with a headshot. Again. “You’re totally camping.”

“I am not,” Kagami argued, grinning at the other’s whine. “You’re the one who’s camping. I just happen to know where you keep holing yourself up. Seriously, you don’t even switch places.”

“Because it’s the best place,” Aomine stated.

“Obviously not, if you keep dying,” the redhead pointed out, making the blunette throw a pillow at his face. Kagami shoved the arm away, laughing, as Aomine then proceeded to try and strangle him. “Get off me, Aho!” Kagami shouted, still laughing, as Aomine pinned him down and pushed the pillow into his face.

“No! I have to save my wallet some kind of way!” Aomine declared, making a whole new round of laughter erupt from Kagami and Aomine found his mouth twitching as he tried not to reciprocate the sound. The redhead shoved at him, displacing him from on top of him which made Aomine grab him instinctually, sending both of them onto the floor. Aomine yelped as Kagami landed on top of him, the breath leaving him in an audible ‘whoosh’. Kagami groaned as his elbow hit the coffee table, both boys moaning in pain. 

“Why’d you do that, Bakagami?” Aomine grumbled, trying to get out from under the older boy.

“Why’d you pull me off with you, Ahomine?” Kagami questioned him back, managing to sit up over the blunette. He rubbed at his elbow, glaring down at the other.  
Both of them just sat there a moment, trying to catch their breaths and assess any damages. Kagami found himself tilting his head a bit, studying the boy under him.

“What?” Aomine asked, wondering what the other was staring at.

“Nothing,” Kagami shook his head, standing before offering Aomine a hand up. The blunette accepted it, being pulled to his feet surprisingly easily.

“Well what now?” Kagami asked, looking at the clock to see it was almost ten. “You staying over tonight?” he questioned, looking to the blunette.

“If it’s okay,” Aomine answered, looking to the redhead in question. He’d actually already planned such, having told his mom he’d be staying the night.

“Yeah sure, I don’t care,” Kagami shrugged, moving towards the shelf by his TV. “Want to watch a movie?”

“What do you have?” the other asked, sitting back onto the couch and stretching his feet out comfortably.

“Action or comedy,” Kagami listed the genre options. 

“Action. I want to watch shit blow up,” Aomine decided. The other nodded, putting in some movie before coming back to the couch, glaring at Aomine who was taking up the entire couch. Aomine just grinned slyly, though it disappeared when Kagami returned the look before sitting on his knees. The guy was heavy and Aomine was quick to jerk out from under him, scowling, though he didn’t sit up, only put his legs in the other’s lap. Kagami didn’t seem to have much of a problem with it, so he left them there. 

The movie was pretty good, but halfway through Aomine found his eyes blinking slowly, tiredness sneaking up on him. He couldn’t fight it as his eyes fell shut. When he opened them again, the living room was dark and he had a blanket tucked around him carefully. He smiled sleepily, rolling over before falling back to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

By the next Friday, Momoi was nearly driving herself up the wall trying to figure out who the redhead she’d seen with Aomine was. It wasn’t that she was worried—after all, she encouraged any attempt of the blunette’s at making more friends—but she just didn’t like not knowing something. Plus, he’d seemed close to the other, laughing and smiling, which was something she hadn’t seen from him in a long time. The other boy obviously didn’t go to Touou, but where else could Aomine have met him? How long had they known each other? These were all thing she needed to know, which was why after a whole week of this bothering her and her searching, she’d finally decided to just go harass the boy in his own home until he told her himself. After all, it was Friday night and she knew he didn’t have any plans, so there would be no getting out of it. She might even be able to make him take her shopping tomorrow.

“Hey, Auntie,” she greeted Aomine’s mother as she entered the house, smiling kindly. “I’m just here to see Dai-chan.”

“Oh, but Daiki’s not here, Satsuki,” was the answer, surprising Momoi. “He went over to Kagami-kun’s house tonight. He mentioned possibly staying there until Sunday afternoon.”

“Kagami-kun?” Momoi asked. That had to be the redhead’s name!

“Yes, his new friend,” Aomine’s mother spoke kindly, smiling. “He said they met a few weeks ago and he’s been spending a lot of time with him since. I haven’t seen Daiki this excited in a long time.”

Momoi smiled, happy for her friend along with his mother. 

“I keep telling him he should invite him over,” she continued, heading into the kitchen and fixing Momoi a cup of tea, which she accepted gratefully, blowing on before sipping at carefully. “He’s spent at least one night over at his house for the past two weekends. I’d like to meet him; he seems like a nice boy. Have you met him, Satsuki?”

“I haven’t, actually,” Momoi admitted, making the other woman frown minutely. “But I did see Dai-chan with another boy last weekend. They were racing or something, I think. Dai-chan looked happy,” she revealed, making the other woman seem at ease once more.

“Yes, I think this Kagami-kun is good for him. He seems to really enjoy basketball; I think Daiki mentioned something about teaching him how to play or something.”

Momoi’s eyes widened in disbelief. Aomine was teaching someone how to play basketball? 

“Apparently Kagami-kun’s gotten fairly good, since Daiki convinced him to join the basketball team at his school,” his mother seemed thoughtful for a moment, sitting across from Momoi. “Actually, I think he said Kagami-kun goes to the same school as Kuroko-kun; maybe those two will get to be friends as well. Both of them are such sweet boys, even though Daiki never brings any of his friends over.” She sighed, before smiling tiredly at Momoi. “He talks about Kagami-kun all the time now, though. It’s almost just like when he first met Kuroko-kun.”

Momoi officially had enough information to track the redhead down now, smiling to herself as she was finally able to put her curiosity at ease. It also explained why Aomine had asked about Seiren’s basketball team a while ago. She was glad to hear he had someone who seemed to be helping him get his passion for basketball back, even if the boy hadn’t been to practice more than a couple of times since school had started. At least he seemed to be getting practice with Kagami-kun; maybe he wouldn’t pull a muscle in a game then, at least.

\-----break-----

“Can’t we just forgot about it?” Aomine whined, reluctantly following Kagami into Maji burger.

“We made a bet and you lost. So pay up,” Kagami stated without mercy, ordering his normal mountain of food before smirking at Aomine and leaving him to pay. The blunette grumbled under his breath, ordering his own food before sitting across from the redhead.

“But we’re even now,” Aomine stated, making Kagami snort.

“Yeah right. You made it double or nothing. You get to pay for tomorrow’s lunch too,” he stated, both of them having stopped by after a one-on-one after practice before heading to Kagami’s. Kagami was exhausted physically, but he could still feel adrenaline pumping through his system. He loved playing against Aomine, even after such a tiring practice. The other’s play never failed to get him riled up and impress him even more. He’d even managed to talk the other into staying until Sunday, so they’d get to play more tomorrow. He couldn’t wait.

“Kagamiiiii,” Aomine drawled out whiningly, making Kagami laugh and throw a fry at his face. Aomine scowled, eating the fry before grabbing two of his own and throwing them at Kagami. 

“Real mature,” Kagami rolled his eyes, though he flicked three fries back.

“Oh really,” Aomine murmured, challenge in his eyes, and Kagami’s eyes widened as the blunette grabbed the whole container of fries.

“No!” Kagami shouted, reaching over to grab the other’s wrist, stopping him. “Quit being a child,” he demanded, hushing his voice as they’d started to draw attention, as usual.

“You started it,” Aomine stated, tugging against Kagami’s hold.

“Whatever, just let it go,” Kagami stated, getting back to eating. He jolted as he suddenly felt a fry hitting his cheek. He looked up, glaring at the boy sitting across from him.

“What? I had to make it even,” Aomine explained in a lazy drawl, eating a few fries. 

Kagami ignored him, both of them quickly finishing their meal before heading to Kagami’s.

“We should watch the game tonight. It’s supposed to be a good one,” Aomine suggested, earning Kagami’s attention.

“Sure, sounds fine with me,” he shrugged as they entered his home. He straightened his shoes after kicking them off, knowing if he didn’t the other would, before crashing on the couch, turning on the TV. Aomine joined him, sitting on the opposite end. He huffed when Kagami’s feet were planted in his lap, making him glare at the redhead. 

“Your feet stink,” he complained, shoving at the other’s legs though the redhead just laughed, leaving them there.

“Shut up; yours do too.”

“So? I’m not shoving mine in your face, am I?” Aomine growled.

“You would have if I hadn’t done it first,” Kagami pointed out mockingly. Aomine denied it, even though it was a true.

“Just go take a shower or something,” Aomine waved him away. “You’re sweaty and gross.”

“And you’re not?” Kagami questioned sarcastically.

“I’m not as bad,” Aomine brushed him off. 

Kagami rolled his eyes, though he did get off the couch, going to take a shower. When he got out, he went and got some extra clothes, throwing them in Aomine’s face, which had been fixed on the game in concentration. Blue eyes, once uncovered, glared at him.

“I’m out,” the redhead grinned, reclaiming his spot and watching the blunette head to take his own shower. Once he returned, sitting across from Kagami, the other automatically replaced his feet in his lap. Aomine didn’t complain this time, so Kagami figured they were okay, turning to watch the game.

“Damn, that was a good game,” Kagami commented, sinking into the couch cushions after having tensed up for the last couple minutes of the game. It’d been down to the last few seconds, the team Aomine was going for—and thus, the one Kagami had chosen not to root for—winning by only a few points. 

“Yeah,” Aomine agreed, before a yawn cut him off. Kagami found the action catching, yawning himself.

“Guess it’s time for bed,” he noted, though he wasn’t inclined to move. It was comfortable, stretched out on the couch. “What time did you want to get up in the morning?”

Aomine shrugged, yawning again. “After ten,” he spoke, rolling out his shoulders as he leaned forward a bit.

Kagami hummed, already making a plan. “Alright then. We can have an early lunch and hit the court around twelve thirty maybe.”

“Sounds fine to me,” Aomine agreed, moving to lay on the couch as Kagami finally got up.

“You know you don’t have to sleep on the couch, Aho. I have a spare bedroom,” the redhead pointing out.

“Yeah, but it’s far,” Aomine complained, rolling to face the back of the couch and hearing Kagami sighed behind him.

“Lazy ass,” he muttered, though he did go fetch a blanket and spread it out over the blunette. Aomine hummed sleepily, wrapping it more securely around him.

“Thanks,” he offered.

“No problem,” Kagami answered, moving to head back to his room, almost distractedly running his fingers through short blue locks. “Goodnight,” he called over his shoulder.

“G’night,” Aomine drawled, already almost a sleep, not even questioning the lingering touch that had caressed his hair or why he wished it’d lasted longer.


	6. Chapter 6

“So what’s your team like?”

Aomine paused, holding the basketball as he raised a brow at Kagami. “Huh?”

“What are your teammates like?” Kagami asked again. “At Touou,” he added, as the blunette didn’t seem to have got it.

Aomine waved him off. “Eh, they’re annoying,” he shrugged, shooting and easily making it. 

“Really?” Kagami asked, sounding curious. Aomine sighed, watching as the redhead moved to the three point line and tossing him the ball.

“Yeah, they keep nagging me about practicing more,” Aomine admitted, before his eyes widened in surprised. He hadn’t meant to say that.

Kagami frowned, looking over at him. “‘Practice more’? Do you not go to practice?”

Aomine mentally cursed. 

“Why not?” Kagami continued, seemingly having accepted his silence as a ‘yes’. 

Aomine sighed, looking at his feet as he ran a hand through his hair. Why did it matter what Kagami thought about it? He’d explained his reasoning multiple times, one more wouldn’t hurt. Kagami was…he was no different than anyone else and Aomine couldn’t care less what he thought of him. Definitely. 

“Aomine,” Kagami drew him from his thoughts, suddenly in front of him. His strange eyebrows were furrowed together and he looked concerned. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Aomine muttered, before looking away from those red eyes. They were too…intense. “I just don’t like to go to practice. I’m going to win games anyway. And practice is boring.”

“How are you going to become friends with your teammates if you don’t practice with them though?” the redhead asked, seemingly seriously concerned about that. Aomine stared at him in surprised, raising a brow. 

“Huh?”

Kagami looked embarrassed and this time it was him who looked away. “Well, it’s just…how are you going to make friends if you never show them who you are? If you only work with them in games then you won’t have much teamwork.”

“Touou doesn’t care about teamwork,” Aomine felt the need to point out. “It’s just like Teiko; the only thing that matters is winning.”

Kagami seemed surprised before looking horrified. “What are you talking about, Aho? Yeah, winning is important, but it’s important to have good teamwork and make friends too!”

Aomine shrugged, taking the basketball from Kagami and moving to shoot, dismissing the conversation. “I can win against anyone without anyone else’s help; teamwork isn’t important to me.”

“But what about friends?” Kagami questioned, not letting it go, moving to catch the ball after it sunk through the net cleanly.

“Do I look like I care about having friends?” Aomine asked, raising an eyebrow.

“But…we’re friends…aren’t we?” Kagami asked hesitantly, suddenly not sure. He hadn’t realized Aomine felt that way. Maybe the guy did just see him as someone he was teaching basketball. An annoyance, even. But…he came over to Kagami’s house a lot, and they did other things than just play basketball. The redhead frowned, looking down at the basketball thoughtfully. 

Aomine, meanwhile, was staring at Kagami, unable to think of a single thing to say. They…were they friends? He’d stayed over at the other’s house twice now and they had a lot in common. And Kagami even helped make basketball a little fun again. Not that he wanted to say all that.

“Maybe…I mean, I guess if you don’t want to, we don’t have to meet here to play anymore,” Kagami spoke quietly, not looking up at Aomine. The blunette felt his throat catch. No! He liked hanging out with the other. He wanted to continue playing with the other until he was strong enough to beat him. He was supposed to be his rival! Aomine was betting everything he had left on Kagami. He couldn’t…he couldn’t just leave him now! 

Kagami sighed as the other continued to be silent. He supposed that thought had been right at the lack of any negative sign from the blunette. The other probably didn’t like playing with him after all. Someone as good at basketball as Aomine was probably bored playing someone who’d just started three weeks ago anyways. His shoulders slumped and he frowned. He wished he’d started in middle school, maybe asked Tatsuya to teach him how to play sooner. Then maybe he’d be better, be a real challenge for the blunette. Then they could both have fun, even though Kagami had already been having fun just hanging around who he’d thought of as his first friend in Japan. He guessed he’d been wrong.

“I think that’s enough for today,” he muttered, moving to the bleachers were they’d left their bags. 

What? No! Aomine rushed forward as if to grab the other’s arm but stopped himself just short of touching him and Kagami continued to walk away to their things. Aomine’s chest felt tight as he stared at the gloomy looking redhead. What had just happened? He thought they were having fun. Even if Kagami couldn’t beat him yet…it was still fun to tease him and play around and all. He…

“Did you want to stay the night again or head home?” Kagami asked, sounding like it was more out of politeness than anything else. After all, his stuff was still at the redhead’s house since he’d been planning to stay until tomorrow anyways. 

“I…” Aomine couldn’t seem to get his mouth to work, anxiety choking him. He could see the redhead slipping through his fingers. This wasn’t how today was supposed to go, dammit! He scowled, stomping closer to the redhead. He’d set him straight, right now! Even if he didn’t want to admit how much he liked the redhead, it was clear that if he didn’t speak up right now he was going to lose him. Like everyone else. “Kagami, I think that—”

“Maybe this is for the best,” Kagami spoke up at the same time as him, cutting him off. Aomine was frozen once more, eyes wide in shock as the scowl melted away. For the best? The redhead finally looked up, a strained grin on his face. “After all, I’m not that good right now. Who knows if I’d ever be able to really beat you? You’re way too good, Aomine.” Kagami felt the words leave his mouth with a bitter taste. He knew that he could definitely get better, but Aomine’s strength was intimidating and the idea of never being able to beat him had crossed his mind a few times. Not that he’d ever wanted to admit it. He hated being so weak that he could barely score two points before Aomine had swept the board. He hated that no matter how high he jumped, he could never reach the basket just behind the other’s block. It wasn’t enough to make him quit, of course—if Kagami loved anything, it was a challenge—but maybe it would be best for him to train by himself or with Seiren and then try to play Aomine after he was better. No doubt the other was growing bored with playing against someone so weak every day. He’d said so last week after all: that winning all the time was boring. 

Aomine felt those words strike somewhere too close to home. What was he supposed to say now? Kagami had given up on beating him. Just like everyone else. Kagami wasn’t the rival Tetsu had promise him. He was just…he was just like everyone else. The blunette frowned, clenching his fist to keep from grabbing at his aching chest. Why was it always like this? Why did everyone he played against give up on ever beating him? He was only human. There had to be someone out there that could beat him. He’d thought…What with Kagami’s intensity, his passion, Aomine had thought he might be the one. But he was wrong.

“The only one who can beat me is me,” the blunette muttered, reminding himself, before moving to grab his own bag. “I think I’ll just go home tonight. My mom’s probably wandering where I am anyways,” he lied before heading with the redhead back to his place to get the rest of his stuff. “See ya later,” he waved half-heartedly before stepping out of the redhead’s home and heading for his own, feeling numb.

Kagami frowned, watching the other leave before collapsing on his couch, throwing an arm over his eyes. This wasn’t how he’d pictured this night going. He’d figured they’d work up a sweat, go eat some Maji so Kagami could get his second free meal in (he’d ended up cooking brunch, much to the blunette’s pleasure), then come home and play some games or watch a movie before going to bed. But now…he’d be surprised if he saw the blunette again for anything other than an official Touou vs. Seiren match. He sighed, rolling onto his side and staring at the black screen of the TV. 

_The only one who can beat me is me_ , Aomine had said. Kagami scowled, thinking about how tired and yet unsurprised the blunette had sounded saying that. He wondered how many times he’d said it before and when the last time the other had lost was. Before middle school, if what he’d said about Teiko winning all three years was true. Would basketball still be as fun as it was now if there was no challenge to it? Kagami tried to think of what it’d be like for basketball to no longer be a challenge, but he just wasn’t sure. He’d only played for three weeks so he still had a lot of things to learn and thus a lot of challenges to face. 

Aomine’s face—looking so weary, so sad—crossed his mind and Kagami sat up, a new fire in his eyes. He was going to give Aomine a challenge. Some way, he was going to become the best basketball player and he was going to beat the other so that he could no longer make that lonesome, miserable statement. 

He was going to make Aomine love basketball again. 

\-----break-----

Aomine trudged into his house just before nine, kicking off his shoes and straightened them with his foot, yelling out a tired ‘I’m home’ and getting a surprised response from his mother. He waved off her concern, claiming he was just tired and wanted to go to bed. He threw his things on the ground in his room before falling face first onto his bed.

The numbness had receded about two-thirds of the way home and he’d been hard-pressed to try and keep the welling of his eyes down while in public. He hadn’t even realized how much hope he’d planted in that stupid Bakagami until it’d all been crushed. Why was it like this? He loved basketball. He’d always loved basketball with all of his heart. So why did it hurt so much to keep playing it? Why, whenever he played with his all, did everyone else give up? He just wanted to play with everything he had like he used to. He wanted to keep playing for hours, to laugh and enjoy the game, to get that feeling in his chest he used to get whenever he was able to beat a tough opponent. 

“Dai-chan?”

Aomine stiffened, hearing Satsuki’s voice behind him. He guessed his mother had been worried and called her. Or maybe she’d seen him come in; she did live next door. 

She stepped gingerly into the room before sitting down carefully on the edge of the bed. Aomine didn’t move. She brushed her hand across his back, feeling him tremble slightly. “Oh, Dai-chan,” she murmured, frowning as her own tears welled up. 

“I just want to play basketball,” Aomine spoke into his pillow, voice breaking slightly. “Why…” he paused. “Why doesn’t anyone ever want to play with me?”

Satsuki didn’t have an answer, but she didn’t leave him, which was more than he could say about anyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well well, getting a little angsty here. Sorry to cut the cuteness short for now. There probably won't be another update until I finish for the semester in two weeks. Kudos and comments are always appreciated! I wish everyone good luck on their finals/midterms!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long! School is kind of crazy right now. Thanks for all the comments last chapter!

Kagami threw himself into practice the following week, a new determination in his eyes. He was on a court every moment he was able to be, going to the street court after practice and even waking up early in the mornings to get some drills in. He had a lot of time to make up for.

“Kagami-kun, you seem tired,” Kuroko spoke gently, trying for once extra hard so as not to startle the boy that had collapsed into his seat in front of him just moments before.

“Yeah, I guess just a bit,” Kagami admitted, though his brow was furrowed in annoyance. He wasn’t getting better as fast as he wanted—no, _needed_ —to. Who knew when they’d have to go against Touou? Kagami had to be ready. He had to be as strong as possible if he was going to challenge Aomine.

“You’ve been practicing a lot lately. You’re really quite good, even if you only just started playing a few weeks ago,” Kuroko complimented, easily killing off the mild sense of jealousy he felt. He couldn’t help being reminded of the many arguments he’d had with Murasakibara about how hard work is also necessary, not just innate talent. He simply wasn’t made like Kagami or Murasakibara or any of the others, though that didn’t mean he loved the game any less. And he could see Kagami’s love for the game too, even if it was young, it was strong. He reminded him of Aomine when they’d first met, actually.

“Thanks, but it’s not enough. I have to get stronger,” Kagami muttered.

“Are you talking about beating the Generation of Miracles? I hadn’t realized Kagami-kun was so passionate about beating them,” Kuroko asked, surprised. He felt an idea begin to form. Maybe…maybe Kagami was the one. Maybe this was like fate, as Midorima might have tried to explain it. Maybe Kagami was the one who would finally beat the miracles. And Kuroko could help him do it.

“Yeah, I have to win. I have to become the very best,” the redhead stated.

_The only one who can beat me is me._

Kagami grit his teeth, anger sparking in his eyes. _You better say that phrase as often as you can for now, Aomine, because once I beat you the only thing you’re going to be able to say is ‘The only one who can beat me is Kagami.’_

“Then I would like to help Kagami-kun,” Kuroko decided.

Kagami was pulled out of his thoughts, turning to look at Kuroko with a raised brow. “Huh?”

“You can’t defeat them on your own; you’re going to need help. And while I know the whole team will help, I want to help as well. I will become Kagami-kun’s shadow, to magnify your light. We will defeat the Generation of Miracles as a team,” Kuroko declared, smiling ever so slightly.

Kagami stared at him for a moment, surprised, before smiling himself. That’s right, he wasn’t the only one who wanted to win. He had his whole team to help him. He’d show—no, _they’d_ show Aomine and all the other Miracle-boys. 

“Thanks, Kuroko,” he said, finally feeling peace about the situation. He’d do all he could do to improve before they faced off against Aomine and he’d just have to trust his team to do the rest. He raised his fist, smirking as Kuroko returned the fist bump.

\-----break-----

“Kurokocchi!”

Kagami, along with every other member of Seiren’s basketball team, looked in surprise at the excited blonde interrupting their practice.

“‘Kurokocchi’?” Kagami repeated in a question.

“Kise-kun adds ‘cchi’ to the end of the people’s names who he respects,” Kuroko answered monotonously, clearly used to this sort of behavior from the blonde.

“It’s been a while!” Kise continued and Kagami swore he was almost glowing. Kise then turned his brightness on them, beaming happily. “Kurokocchi and I were best friends in middle school,” he proclaimed happily.

“No more so than anyone else,” Kuroko deadpanned, instantly deflating Kise’s cheeriness and making the blonde’s eyes tear up dramatically.

“Kurokocchi! So mean-ssu!” he cried. 

“Who is this guy?” Kagami asked Kuroko, eyeing him warily.

Kuroko looked up at Kagami with mild surprise before realization hit him. “Ah, Kagami-kun was in America for middle school. Kise-kun is a member of the Generation of Miracles.”

“Oh right. Those guys,” Kagami muttered, now taking in the blonde as a more serious threat. Despite the theatrics he had to be good if he was on par with Aomine. Kise…

_He’s pretty good…not as strong as me, but strong enough to beat you._

Kagami grit his teeth as Aomine’s words filtered into his ear. “Hey! Play me in a one-on-one!” he challenged. He’d show Aomine. He’d been practicing like a maniac this last week trying to get ready for their practice match against Kaijou that Friday. He was going to prove Aomine wrong about him not being able to beat Kise first. Then, he was going to beat Aomine himself, along with any of the other Miracles that wanted to be arrogant jerks. 

Kise stopped crying, now studying Kagami with an entirely different light to his eyes. He narrowed them slightly, studying the redhead. “I’m really not supposed to play outside of matches…but I guess a quick show won’t hurt,” he added, smirking.

Kagami felt his temple pulse.

And then he was blown away, Kise moving too quick for him to follow, though he was able to tell that the other had mimicked a move he’d done just a while ago during practice. It was done flawlessly and ended with Kise as the victor and Kagami glaring from the floor. He stood up on his own, refusing the blond’s offered hand.

“You’re not bad,” Kise complimented him, making him want to punch the other in his perfect, shining face. At least Aomine, in all his arrogance, didn't say shit like that after beating him. He didn’t want pity, dammit. Though in the end…Kagami couldn’t help but grin excitedly. Kise really was good, and he’d be a good challenge. He couldn’t wait until the practice match with Kaijou tomorrow.

\-----break-----

Kagami could still feel the adrenaline in his veins after practice so he ended up going to the street court afterwards. He was admittedly a bit disappointed that Aomine wasn’t there to meet him, even if he hadn’t really been expecting him to be. This would be the first time since they met a month ago that they hadn’t had at least one one-on-one during the week. He sighed, dribbling before shooting again. He frowned as the ball went into the net. He was getting better but he wasn’t _there_. Not yet.

He glared at the net, trying to force his left hand to work the way he wanted. He knew it was his weaker side and that he needed to get practice handling the ball with it. He jumped high with his right foot, slamming the ball into the hoop and catching the rim, swinging for a few moments before dropping to his feet.

“Wow…” 

He turned at the sound, raising a brow at the pink haired girl watching him in amazement. She smiled once she saw that she’d been noticed, stepping towards the court and picking up the ball, offering it to him. 

“That was a really nice dunk,” she complimented.

“Um, thanks,” Kagami muttered, accepting the ball.

“Have you been playing for long?” she asked him, still smiling.

“Well, no, not really,” Kagami admitted, wondering who this strange girl was. “About a month now, I guess.”

“Really? But you’re so good at it! That’s amazing,” she continued with the praise, making Kagami progressively more awkward, his face reddening with each word. He stepped away from the pinkette nervously, ruffling his hair with his free hand. He didn’t do well with compliments. 

“Uh, okay, thank you,” he mumbled, trying to force the blush away.

Momoi couldn’t help but smile brighter as she continued to mess with Kagami. He was too cute. She’d been able to find out where he typically practiced and planned to meet him, especially after Aomine’s breakdown last weekend. The blunette was her best friend and she wanted him to be happy again, like he’d been when she’d seen him running down the street with the redhead in front of her. There had to be a way to get the two to be friends again. She could guess what happened and now she just had to give Kagami a pep talk so he’d practice and get better and not give up on Aomine like everyone else.

“What team do you play on?” she asked, endlessly amused by the fact that Kagami was still refusing to look directly at her, blushing and looking anywhere else. She brought her arms in front of her, pushing her breasts out and holding back a grin as his blush deepened. 

“S-Seiren,” he answered, waving in the air distractedly as if to point in the direction of the school.

“Really? Do you think you’ll win the Interhigh then? After all, the Generation of Miracles are going to be competing too. They’re really strong,” she pointed out.

It was like she’d flipped a switch, Kagami immediately getting a determination in his eyes, the passion for the newfound sport of his flaring up. Momoi’s eyes widened in surprise. That was not the look of someone who had given up. 

“Of course we’re going to win. We’re going to beat every one of them,” he vowed. “I don’t care how strong they are.”

“Even Aomine-kun?” Momoi asked. Kagami finally looked at her directly, his brows furrowing.

“ _Especially_ Aomine,” he almost growled, before frowning. “But why are you asking all of this? Who are you?” he demanded, before looking embarrassed. “I mean, um, sorry, but what was your name?” he reiterated, clearly trying to be more polite and failing. Momoi giggled again; if she didn’t already have Kuroko, she might have just found herself with a new interest.

“Momoi Satsuki,” she introduced herself, “and I already know who you are, Kagami-kun. I’m the manager for Touou’s basketball club, but the real reason I came here was because I’m a close friend of Aomine-kun’s.” She positively beamed then, making a light blush return to Kagami’s face. “I’m really happy to hear that you haven’t given up on beating him, Kagami-kun.”

“Of course I haven’t given up on beating that jerk,” Kagami grumbled, “He needs to be taken down a peg or two. And even if I’m not the best right now, I’m going to beat him one day. I only said that he was really good; not that he was unbeatable. And I only suggested we not play each other anymore right now because he said he gets bored when he always wins and I’m not really a challenge for him yet.” Kagami shrugged. “I figured after I practice more and get better we can play again and then we can both have fun.” Kagami instantly erupted in a blush when, the moment he’d finished talking, he found the pinkette embracing him strongly. His hands rose up into the air uncertainly hovering, as he found himself not knowing what to do as the technically-a-stranger hugged him.

“I’m so happy to hear that, Kagamin!” Momoi cheered, officially behind Kagami’s attempts to challenge Aomine. “And I’m sure Dai-chan would be too,” she added, releasing him and looking up with a glowing face. Kagami stuttered, not sure what to say. And had she just called him ‘Kagamin’? And who was ‘Dai-chan’? Aomine? He almost snorted; he wasn’t letting the idiot live that one down.

“I look forward to Touou and Seiren’s match then,” she nodded to herself. “I can’t wait to see how strong you get, Kagamin!” she waved before practically skipping from the court, making Kagami watch her confusedly.

“What…just happened,” he murmured to himself.


	8. Chapter 8

Kagami was exhausted the next day as Seiren headed to Kaijou. He hadn’t been able to sleep, getting only about two hours total as he tossed and turned, running possible plays through his head. This was going to show how he was coming along. If he couldn’t beat Kise, who Kuroko explained was the last one of them to become a Miracle, there would be no way he was going to be able to beat Aomine in this Interhigh. But the chances of Aomine waiting until next year for him to practice and get better was not on the table; Aomine hadn’t came out and said anything, obviously, but Kagami could feel the underlying hint of loneliness and boredom that always winning was giving him. He wouldn’t be surprised if Aomine stopped playing altogether if things continued the way they were. But that was unacceptable. Aomine’s play was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen and he could only imagine how much more awesome the boy would be if he actually tried his best and had fun too. Kagami wanted to see it for his own eyes and not just hear others talk about it. He wanted to see Aomine play at his best; he wanted to watch him have fun while playing basketball.  


But first this practice match. Kagami tried to force all thoughts of Aomine out of his head. Right now he had to focus on Kise.  


They got off to a rocky start, Kaijou’s coach clearly not taking this seriously. Kagami glared. No one was going to get in the way of him getting better and challenging Aomine. His frustration came forth as he jumped high, slamming the ball into the net. He grinned viciously and cheered after landing on his feet, his arms raised high. Only then did he realize he hadn’t let go of the net, though it was still in his hand.  


“What?” he yelped, dropping the net like it’d burned him. Had he just…ripped a hoop from the backboard?  


“Woah, nice, Kagami!” His team came over then, all grinning and congratulating him on his show of strength. He was still in a state of shock, however. He didn’t even know moves like that were possible.  


“Looks like they’re finally taking us seriously,” the captain stated, eyeing the glaring coach who ordered his team to clear off the second half of the court so they could have a real match. Kagami nodded, serious. “Let’s show them Seiren’s strength!”  


The whole team agreed and, once the entire court was ready, the game commenced.  


\-----break-----  


Momoi felt conflicted as she walked beside Aomine to school the next day. She’d managed to keep from blabbing about what she’d found out from Kagami yesterday (mostly through avoiding him), but now it was on the tip of her tongue. She’d realized that there was definitely some miscommunication going on between the two boys and that Aomine had clearly misunderstood Kagami’s intentions. Still, she wasn’t completely certain it was her place to intervene. But then again, Kagami hadn’t seemed to realize just what an impact what he’d said had had on Aomine.  


She sighed. She was conflicted.  


“What do you keep sighing so much about?” Aomine growled, earning her attention.  


“What do you mean?” she asked, confused.  


“You keep sighing every few seconds and frowning. What’s up?” he asked brutishly, and Momoi could pick up just a tiny hint of underlying worry.  


She opened her mouth to tell him, but then found herself closing it again. If Aomine knew she’d met with Kagami, he’d accuse her of meddling and would get angry with her. She frowned again.  


“Seriously, just spit it out,” Aomine demanded.  


“I...It’s almost my time of the month and I’m upset because some of the other girls wanted to go swimming and I can’t go,” she blurted. She inwardly congratulated herself as the boy at her side blanched, refusing to meet her gaze. It was sad sometimes how easy it was to manipulate Aomine.  


“Oh, uh, sorry,” he managed out with a weak voice, completely dropping the topic. Momoi nearly skipped on the way to school, especially when Aomine—in an effort to make amends, perhaps, or maybe because he wasn’t a total jerk—ran into a gas station they passed and bought her a giant chocolate bar. She offered him half as appreciation of the kind gesture and they ate chocolate in silence for the rest of the walk. 

She’d wait first and see how Kagami did. No need to get Aomine’s hopes up. While she had faith in the redhead, she was also a person who preferred more concrete data before sharing it.  


\-----break-----  


Kagami was still pumped up with adrenaline, nearly bouncing in his own home after the win against Kaijou. He was getting better! It was only a matter of time before he took on Aomine. He grinned to himself, idly twirling a ball around on his finger before sighing, forcing himself to stop jiggling his leg. He was still restless. But what could he do at this time of night?  


The redhead frowned. Damn, he wished Aomine was here. They could play Crown or watch a game or something. Plus, he could brag about his win. Kagami wasn’t usually a braggart but something about Aomine made him want to rub every little thing in that idiot’s face.  


Kagami’s stomach growled and he sighed, dropping the ball and heading into the kitchen to make something to eat. As he went through the familiar motions that came with cooking, he couldn’t help but notice how quiet his apartment was. He shivered, brow furrowing. It was kind of cold in here too, wasn’t it? He went and turned down the AC before grabbing a pair of socks. Then he turned on the TV for some noise before returning to the kitchen.  


Kagami was used to living alone by now; even when he’d been in America his dad had spent the vast majority of the time working. Of course, he loved his dad and he knew the man did all he could to make him happy, but he’d never really balanced work and family well. Which was probably the reason his mother had left so many years ago. Kagami could barely remember her, honestly, just a few things. Like the fact that her hair had been the same shade of red as his own. And that she’d been pretty tall (from a child’s perspective, at least) and could reach anything. And a great cook. And she’d always been warm, always laughing, always telling jokes and stories to keep him entertained. She’d never yelled- or at least, not at him. He could remember her and his dad fighting a lot, though he was pretty sure they’d made an effort to hide it from him.  


He also remembered that, when she’d left his dad, she’d left him too. He remembered asking his dad only once where she’d gone, sometime around the age of ten. That was the only time he’d seen his dad cry and he refused to ask about her ever again.  


He didn’t really care anyways. He could cook for himself. He was tall enough to reach things by himself. He could entertain himself. And he didn’t need to hide any of his yelling because even if someone pissed him off or things got difficult that didn’t mean he was going to just run away or leave them. He would yell, he would fight, but he would always stay.  


Kagami felt like something was niggling in the back of his mind. He was scowling, moving his now-made food from the stove and onto a plate. Was he forgetting something?  


Inside his mind, he saw Aomine’s scowling face. His eyes were tired and lonely. _The only one who can beat me is me._

_I know you think that, idiot, but I’m going to beat you,_ Kagami thought angrily, heading into the couch. He chomped heatedly on a few bites of his food.  


_I’m so happy to hear that, Kagamin!_ Momoi’s bright face appeared then. Kagami paused in his eating, frowning.  


_Why did she seem so surprised I said that? She said she was a friend of Aomine’s, right? She should have known I was already planning on trying to beat that dumbass._ Kagami’s eyes slide to his phone, resting on the table in front of him. He glared at it. Had that Aho told her he wasn’t a threat? Spouted some ‘The only one who can beat me is me’ crap? The redhead found himself growling under his breath at the thought of being so underestimated. Sure, Aomine was an amazing player, but like hell was Kagami just going to lay back and let him mop the floor with him.  


Kagami roughly set his plate down, snatching up his phone and searching through his contacts before finding ‘Ahomine’.  


_‘You were wrong. Kise wasn’t strong enough to beat me and neither are you. Better stay sharp, Aho, cause I’m going to beat you’,_ he typed out, nodding to himself before sending the text. He was still feeling quite indignant over whatever it was Aomine had told Momoi about him. He just knew it wasn’t something good. He tapped his fingers impatiently, waiting for a reply.  


\-----break-----  


Aomine yawned, sitting up on the roof of Touou and realizing it was well passed the time to head home. He supposed they were probably still running practice since Satsuki hadn’t come to fetch him yet. He shrugged, standing and stretching idly before figuring he’d just head home. Not much else to do, especially now that Kagami had revealed his weakness and didn’t want to play with him anymore. Aomine was pretty sure he was pouting but he didn’t care since no one was around to see it anyways. He’d had high hopes for the redhead, but he guessed he shouldn’t have. He should have listened to himself in the beginning. Just because the other had spent time in America didn’t make him any better at basketball.  


Aomine sighed, dragging his feet as he stopped just outside the gym. He waited impatiently, but just before he was going to go in and drag Satsuki out—telling her it was time for them to go home already, dammit, it was almost dark—she waltzed out talking animatedly with the unnerving Imayoshi, who was sporting his usual smile. They both paused at seeing him, Imayoshi raising a brow in question and Satsuki put her hands on her hips. Aomine sighed, digging a finger in his ear. That was her serious pose; she was about to start lecturing him again.  


“Can you yell at me while walking? I’m ready to get home,” Aomine drawled lazily, turning away and starting towards the gates.  


“Aomine-kun!” Momoi yelled, rushing after him with a huff after bidding goodbye to Imayoshi. She glared at him. “Where’ve you been?”  


“Napping,” Aomine informed her, like she didn’t know.  


“You were supposed to come to practice,” she grumbled.  


“For what? To show the others what they’re supposed to be doing?” he asked.  


“No, Aomine-kun, so that you can learn the plays.”  


“Who needs plays? Just give me the ball. I’ll score,” Aomine yawned, rolling his neck to try and get rid of some of the stiffness.  


Momoi huffed in annoyance, giving up for now. They’d had this argument way too many times.  


Aomine hummed in surprise when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He fished it out, brow furrowing it confusion as he tried to guess who it was. The main one who texted him was the girl at his side. Did his mom want him to pick something up?  


_‘You were wrong. Kise wasn’t strong enough to beat me and neither are you. Better stay sharp, Aho, cause I’m going to beat you.’_

Aomine’s eyes widened a bit at the blatant challenge before snorting in disbelief, rolling his eyes and opening up a new message.

_‘Oh? I thought I was too good, Baka. Just because you can beat Kise doesn’t mean you’re all that great. It was a practice match anyways.’_

Aomine didn’t have to wait long for a reply. 

_‘Doesn’t matter. I’ve decided. I’m going to beat you. Practice match, official match, one-on-one. Whatever. Who cares how good you are? I’m going to be the best.’_

Aomine barked out a quick laugh at that, startling Momoi who looked at him confusedly. He pocketed his phone, deciding not to answer, as he felt a sudden lightening of his chest. 

_Bring it on._


	9. Chapter 9

Kagami couldn’t believe how well they were doing in the tournament. Other than the difficulty he had with Papa at Shinkyo, there really hadn’t been any tough matches. Maybe he had really improved. 

“Alright, today we’re going to see the Shutoku game,” Coach announced. 

“We are?” Kagami asked in surprise.

“Yes. I think it would be good to scope out the competition. Also, it should let some of you first years get a handle on what we’re really dealing with. We’re not out here to be good; we’re going to be the best!” she declared just as they all began to file into the gym. 

_Shutoku…has Midorima, right? I think that’s what Kuroko said. He can’t be much different than Kise. I can handle him or any of those Miracl-_

Kagami’s thoughts were stopped as he watched the abnormally high arch of ball before it fell down almost elegantly. It swished the net flawlessly as a green-haired man stood in the middle of the court well beyond the three-point line, fixing his glasses coolly. 

_That must be him,_ Kagami glared, sizing him up. Watching the game, he was beginning to understand the magnitude of trying to defeat all of the Miracles. He felt adrenaline in his veins, knowing he wanted nothing more than to get on the court. This challenge, the idea that he might not win…he loved it! He smirked happily, mind set. 

\-----break----- 

Kagami found himself on the street court once they’d returned, shooting hoop after hoop, mind swirling as he thought about Seiren’s future matches. _I need to be even stronger._

He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of team Seiho, their first opponent in the back-to-back matches, was. After all, Shutoku with Midorima probably focused a lot on utilizing his long-range threes, so as long as he could build up his stamina and keep jumping, they should be okay. But he didn’t know anything about Seiho. Would they be an offensive team, like Seiren? Or a defensive them? Would they have an ace? Surely they had some sort of tricks up their sleeve. The senpai had even called them one of the three kings, whatever that meant. He frowned in thought, shooting the ball again before tugging his phone from his pocket. 

_‘Touou ever played Seiho?’_

He waited for a moment, fetching the ball and dribbling it casually. 

_‘Midorima took them out last year before they got to us.’_

Kagami rolled his eyes. Aomine had such a weird way of saying things: ‘Midorima’ took them out, not ‘Shutoku’. He looked back down when his phone buzzed again. 

_‘Worried about the double matches next week?’_

Kagami’s brow raised in surprise. He hadn’t figured the other would care. 

_‘Kinda.’_ He decided to admit, before frowning and adding more. _‘Just about my stamina. Especially since I’ll have to be jumping a lot to block Midorima.’_ Kagami idly wondered if the other would have any tips; after all, Aomine had been playing for a lot longer than he had. Plus he knew Midorima. _‘Any tips?’_ He pressed ‘Send.’ 

_‘Midorima only shoots if he knows he’ll make it.’_

Kagami stared at that, huffing under his breath. How was that supposed to help him? 

_‘What I mean is if you stick close and he knows you have the ability to block him, he won’t try to shoot. He has to believe he’ll make it.’_

Had Aomine read his mind through his phone? 

_‘I could practically feel you saying “How’s that help me?” through the phone. You’re a little slow.’_

Kagami growled to himself, typing quickly, though another text came in before he had time to send it. 

_‘haha, nah, just kidding. Look up.’_

Kagami blinked, confused, before peeking up under his bangs warily. His eyes widened when he spotted the other teen leaning against the gate into the court. Aomine waved half-heartedly, smirking slightly. 

“About time you noticed,” he called out in greeting, walking onto the court and snatching the ball from Kagami, spinning it on his finger. 

“How long have you been there?” Kagami asked, still a bit surprised. It had been two weeks since he’d seen Aomine, after all. 

“Just a little bit. Headed home from school,” Aomine answered, shrugging. 

“This late?” Kagami couldn’t help but ask, spotting the sun crossing the horizon. 

“I fell asleep on the roof.” 

“Are you serious? Who even does that?” 

“Shut up,” Aomine growled, looking away. “I didn’t have to stop and talk to you. Besides, I gave you a tip for going against Midorima.” 

“And that was supposed to count as an apology?” Kagami asked, raising a brow. 

“An apology? What the hell would I apologized to you for?” Aomine sputtered. 

“For saying we weren’t friends,” Kagami grumbled, eyes shifting to the right in embarrassment. 

“I never said that! You jumped to conclusions!” Aomine denied. 

“Well you’re the one who didn’t say anything! What was I supposed to think whenever you just stood there all silently and refused to even look at me?” 

“Are you a complete idiot? Why would I spend the night at your house and hang out with you if I didn’t want to?” Aomine yelled. 

“I don’t know, okay? But you were my first friend here and when you said you didn’t want any friends it kind of hurt, alright?!” Kagami shouted before his mind caught up with what he had just said and he felt his face blushed brightly. He covered his face with his hand, refusing to even look in the other’s direction as he turned to the side. 

Aomine felt his own face warming up and he was having trouble keeping his eyes focused on one thing. “Oh. Well, uh, I didn’t mean to, um,” he shifted nervously. “I was just…Talking really isn’t my thing, okay?” he muttered. 

“Yeah,” Kagami sighed in agreement, still not looking at him. 

Aomine bit his lip unsure. “But…” he began delicately, face heating up even as he forced himself to keep talking. “I…like hanging out with you,” he finally admitted, voice low. 

“Yeah,” Kagami agreed. They stood across from each other, covering their faces and not looking at the other. “So…we’re friends…right?” Kagami strangled out of his throat. 

Aomine mumbled under his breath before shifting on his feet and rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, we’re friends,” he finally stated. 

Kagami grinned happily, even with his face still tinted pink, and grabbed at the ball from under Aomine’s arm. “Awesome! Then let’s play one-on-one!” 

Aomine started at the sudden shift, brow raising. “I…I need to be get home,” he managed out, still a bit surprised. He felt the need to explain once Kagami’s eyes dimmed and his smile dropped. “I mean, my mom called me earlier and told me to get home. But, uh, if you want to, I could come over this weekend?” He asked hesitantly, still on unsure ground with the other. 

“Oh yeah, right,” Kagami nodded. “And definitely! If you can,” he added, lips twisting up in a smile. It wasn’t quite as bright as his earlier one, but it was better than his disappointed face, Aomine decided. 

Aomine felt himself mirror the expression. “I’ll text you once I ask my mom.” 

“Cool,” Kagami nodded, heading over to grab his stuff, counting it as a day and figuring he’d head home too. 

“Hey, um, Kagami,” Aomine began. Kagami threw a look over his shoulder, raising a brow in question. 

“Yeah?” 

“So you…still want to play basketball with me?” He questioned tentatively despite the earlier demand for a one-on-one. 

_No one can beat you._

_You’re unstoppable._

_You’re just too good._

_You’re a monster._

_A monster._

_Monster. Monster. Monster. Mon-_

Kagami snorted, laughing as he threw his bag over his shoulder and bumped into Aomine’s side. “Of course I still want to play you, idiot. You’re my rival.” 

“Rival, huh?” Aomine repeated under his breath, the two walking side by side. He felt himself smiling slightly, bumping his shoulder against Kagami’s in return. 

Kagami smirked in challenge, throwing his arm around the other’s neck just as he tended to do to him and pulled him closer. His other hand fisted and he dragged his knuckles roughly across the top of his head, laughing as Aomine tried to push him off of him. “Why do you sound like you don’t believe me, huh? Trust me, I’m so going to beat you. I’m going to be the toughest rival you’ve ever faced, just watch me.” 

“I’d like to see you try, Bakagami!” Aomine yelled as he got loose and reached to pull Kagami into the same headlock. The redhead laughed and took off down the street, an annoyed teen right behind him. 

They were both smiling. 

\-----break----- 

Going to school the next day, Momoi was watching Aomine with an odd look on her face. 

“What?” he grumbled, annoyed at her staring. 

“You look happier today,” she noted. “Did something happen?” 

“What are you even talking about?” Aomine waved off. 

Momoi pouted, before an idea hit her and she smirked mischievously. “You know, Seiren’s in a double match this weekend.” 

Aomine raised a brow. “Yeah and?” 

She grinned. “I didn’t realize you were paying so much attention to another team’s schedule,” she teased. The other blushed slightly but powered through the mild embarrassment. 

“Whatever. What about it?” 

“Well I was just thinking that it would be fun to go and cheer on Tetsu-kun,” she explained. 

“Fine. Go. Like I’m going to stop you,” Aomine shrugged off. 

“But Aomine-kun!” she whined, latching onto his arm. “I don’t want to go alone! Besides, don’t you want to cheer on Kagamin?” 

“Why would I want to go cheer that idiot on?” Aomine grumbled. “Hey, wait! How do you know Kagami?” he demanded. Momoi giggled, pulling away from the suddenly annoyed-looking boy. 

“No reason!” She sang, stepping through the gates as they arrived at school and heading towards her class. 

“Oi, Satsuki!” Aomine called out, growling under his breath when she ignored him. “Damn meddlesome girl,” he muttered. He startled slightly when he phone buzzed in his pocket. 

_‘So are your parents cool with you coming this weekend?’_

_‘Yeah. Friday?’_

Kagami took a few minutes to respond, making Aomine frown down at his phone as he headed to class. Then he remembered. The double matches. They were this Friday. 

_‘Sure, though it’ll have to be after the games. We’ll take it easy Friday night and then we can hit the court Saturday.’_

_‘You really think you’re going to be able to move Saturday?’_ Aomine teased. _‘You’re legs are going to be shot after beating Midorima. We’ll just take it easy.’_

_‘Whatever, man. I’ll show you. Just get your ass to my place Friday night.’_

Aomine laughed, pocketing his phone. Looks like he had something to look forward to this weekend. 

\-----break----- 

Kagami muttered under his breath about annoying idiots while glaring at the front of the class. Still, he couldn’t help but feel something tighten in his chest and he knew it had to do with Aomine’s text. He hadn’t said after ‘playing’ Midorima; he’s said after Kagami ‘beat’ Midorima. He had faith that Kagami could win. The redhead finally gave into his desire to smile (it wasn’t like anyone would notice, anyways). 

Aomine believed he would win. 

Kagami’s heart thumped and he felt warmth spread through his chest. 

_Aomine believes I can win,_ he repeated in his thoughts. An all new sense of determination fell over him. _I’m going to prove him right._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one took me a lot longer to write than I had planned. I'm sorry; I honestly hit a little snag and then school picked up and I didn't have time to work it out. But now that finals have passed and I had some free time, I got in some writing time and I like where this has gone. I think I've set myself (and you guys) up for something good for the next chapter, but we shall see. ;)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the lengthy disappearance. Seriously, I am so sorry. I have no excuses! Honestly, the Seiho match just really tripped me up, and I don't even know why. 
> 
> I don't know. I'm working mostly from memory from here--and wiki--so unless it's one of the more 'main' matches, I don't remember that many details and it's a little difficult for me to figure out how I want to write it. Usually when in doubt, I just don't go into that much detail about the match. Besides, I'm pretty sure you guys have watched the anime, so you know the basic gist of the matches.
> 
> I am far from a basketball game writing professional, anyways.
> 
> So, here it is. 
> 
> (I do warn you, this is unbeta-ed; may include typos)
> 
> (Also also: I'm upping the rating, since I realized I do cuss a bit--which probably shouldn't be in a gen-rated fic--plus, you know, this might be slow build but I'm hoping to eventually get to some sort of shippy stuff...)

Friday couldn’t come fast enough. Kagami pulled as many extra exercises as he could, so much so that Coach was worried he was overdoing it. 

“You’re going to be burnt out by the first game at this rate,” she grumbled, watching him dunk another ball. Kagami bounced on his feet, squeezing the ball between his hands. 

“I can’t help it,” Kagami admitted, smirking down at the ball. “I’m just really excited to play.” 

“Well save some of that energy. Go hit the showers,” Hyuuga ordered, smacking the redhead on the back of the head. 

“Kagami-kun has been in higher spirits this week,” Kuroko noted, startling the redhead who was changing out. 

“Ahhhh!” Kagami screamed. “Kuroko! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” 

“I was here the whole time, Kagami-kun,” Kuroko stated blandly. He had a barely-there smirk on his face though, which caused Kagami’s glare to deepen. 

“I’m just ready to go against one of these Miracles in an actual game,” Kagami answered his earlier question, pulling a clean shirt on. He slammed his locker closed and picked up his bag, walking beside Kuroko outside the school. 

“Midorima-kun will be a difficult opponent,” Kuroko noted, watching Kagami carefully. “But first we need to focus on Seiho. It won’t do to lose to them before we even go against Midorima-kun,” he added casually. 

“And there’s no way I’m losing before I get the chance to go against that smug bastard Aomine,” Kagami bragged, smirking good-naturedly. 

Kuroko's eyes widened slightly and he watched Kagami curiously. "I didn't know Kagami-kun knew Aomine-kun," he wondered aloud. 

Kagami shrugged. “Well he wanted someone to play against and I was there. So now I’m his rival and I have to become good enough so I can beat him.” 

Kuroko smiled slightly, looking down. “Kagami-kun sounds very determined to beat Aomine-kun,” he observed aloud. 

“Well yeah,” Kagami responded, “That asshole seems to think he can’t lose to anyone.” Kagami smirked. “I’m going to prove him wrong. Starting with this weekend.” 

Kuroko allowed his smile to show, watching Kagami’s eyes become enflamed with passion for his newfound sport of choice. Maybe he was being foolish, but Kuroko couldn’t find a hint of doubt in him over Kagami’s words. 

\-----break----- 

Kagami panted, faking the spin to get around the Seiho defender, gritting his teeth when the other moved faster to get to him. Or maybe not faster, just…smoother. 

_They all move like that. Almost like their dancing or something,_ he thought. He bit into his cheek at the annoyance. _Ah, fuck it,_ he thought, shoving off the ground in a powerful leap and soaring over his opponents’ heads. He slammed the ball into the basket, smirking victoriously. 

“Foul!” 

Kagami froze, frowning as he heard the ref’s call. Foul? He looked down at the fallen defender, scowling. 

“I didn’t even touch you,” he growled angrily, watching the guy make a show of standing up like he’d been hit. 

That was his third foul. 

“You should learn to control your own strength,” the guy taunted. Kagami felt his fists shaking with fury. What was with this asshole? Why couldn’t he just play a fair game? 

“Kagami-kun.” The redhead startled a bit, jolted out of his rage by the shadow at his side. “You need to be more careful.” 

“I didn’t touch him,” Kagami denied, feeling his teeth grind together. 

Kuroko frowned but didn’t comment, moving behind the free-throw line as Kagami took his place on the side, waiting to catch the tip if the guy missed. 

The game continued after the shots, and Kagami hated how having three fouls limited his play. He scowled, eyes aflame with fury as he glared at the smirking defender in front of him. He passed instead of rushing like he wanted to. He almost wanted to punch him just so he’d have actually done something to deserve a foul. 

\-----break----- 

“That’s just bullshit!” Aomine yelled in anger as Kagami got his fourth foul and his couch pulled him from the game. The redhead was boiling, his anger a nearly visible aura emanating from him. 

“I thought you just came so I wouldn’t have to walk alone, Dai-chan,” Momoi teased at his side, though truly she was just as angered at the mistreatment the redhead was receiving. Like the boy at her side, she wanted to watch an honest game. She also wanted to see what improvements the other boy has made, which wouldn’t happen if he was on the bench. 

“Oh shut it, Satsuki,” Aomine grumbled in her direction. 

“It’s probably for the best though,” Momoi thought aloud. Aomine shot her a glance. “After all, if they win, the match against Shutoku will be in just a few hours. Kagamin is their Ace. Since he’s still forming his muscles for basketball, his stamina isn’t going to be the greatest, and if he’s wore out before the match against Midorin has even started they won’t stand a chance.” 

Aomine hummed, acknowledging her truth. Still, he didn’t like how Seiho had gone about their strategy. 

He sighed, bored now that both Kagami and Kuroko had been benched, and watched the game idly now. He no longer focused on any one player, just taking in the entire court. 

“Seiho’s really in sync,” he observed blandly. 

“It’s their signature skill,” Momoi informed him. “The Nanba run. It lets them use up less stamina and allows them to react a bit faster. Seiho is famous for integrating martial arts techniques in their training regiments.” 

Aomine hummed again, eyes hooding and tracking Seiho’s movements. Aomine might not have the analytical power-mind Momoi had, but this was basketball. When he tried, there was nothing within the scope of the court that could escape his notice. 

“It would be annoying,” he admitted after a moment. “Or at least it would for the first minute or two going against it. It’s not that hard to see through, though.” 

Momoi glanced over at him, smile tilting up her lips. She was happy to see him studying another team and looking for their weakness. 

“Yes, but you’d have to be faster than them. Even if you know where they’re going, it won’t do you any good if you can’t react to it,” she pointed out. 

“Seiren’s not that shitty,” Aomine grumbled. “If that coach of theirs can pick up on it in time, it should be easy for them to pull a win.” 

Momoi giggled, earning a half-hearted glare from the teen next to her, as they both settled in to watch the remainder of the match. 

\-----break----- 

Seiren cheered their win, though their celebration was short lived at the realization of what was next. 

“It’s just cruel to have to go against two tough opponents in the same day,” Koganei sighed. 

“But it’s that challenge that makes it so much fun,” Kagami refuted, nearly shaking with adrenaline. He hadn’t been able to play for most of the second half, so he was well-rested and raring to go. He couldn’t wait to try out his skill at blocking those ridiculous shots of Midorima’s. 

“That’s the spirit,” Hyuuga stated, slapping Kagami on the back painfully. 

“Ow,” the redhead muttered, backing away from the enthusiastic Captain and eyeing him mistrustfully. 

“We’ll have to have a completely different strategy facing Shutoku,” the Coach stated, earning their attention. “Kagami, you’re our Ace. We’re going to really need your jumps to block Midorima’s three-pointers, especially if he can shoot from mid-court.” 

Kagami nodded. “I’m going to go do some warm-ups,” he stated, heading outside with a basketball to shoot a few hoops and keep himself limber for the next match. 

“Well you made it this far.” 

Kagami jumped, startled, before turning to see the blue-haired teen leaning against the fence, watching him with a smirk. 

“Ahomine!” he called in greeting. “You came to watch me beat your old teammate, huh?” he bragged, smirking. 

“Midorima isn’t a pushover,” Aomine reminded him, raising a brow. 

“I know,” Kagami agreed, nodding and face getting more serious. Aomine bit back a grin as he watched Kagami’s typical intensity flare up in his eyes. “I can’t wait to play him and see how I measure up.” 

Aomine hummed, eyes hooded. He seemed almost thoughtful, but there was a wildness brewing in his aura, something Kagami hadn’t felt before. 

“You know what happens if you win this one, right?” Aomine asked, lips twitching as he fought back a smirk. 

“What?” Kagami asked, brow furrowed in question. 

“Your next match will be against me,” Aomine informed him, no longer able to hold back the grin. “And then we’ll really get to test how far you’ve come.” 

Kagami’s eyes widened in surprise before a determination settled over his features. He matched Aomine’s wild grin with one of his own, aura intensifying with his anticipation. 

“Then I’m definitely going to win,” Kagami stated confidently. “And then I’m going to beat you, Aomine.” 

Aomine inhaled, feeling a hint of wildness stirring within Kagami as well. He shivered in excitement, feeling hope blooming in his chest and for once not doing a damn thing to try and crush it. He nearly moaned at how amazing Kagami’s strength felt at that moment. He could feel his blood heating, his hands trembling, his body revving itself up. He didn’t hold any doubts now. How could he, when he could feel that trickle of animal strength grow each time he saw Kagami on the court? Yes, he’d finally done it. Finally. _Finally. Finally!_

_He’d found his true rival!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I apologize for the shortness of the chapter...)
> 
> But now that I've finally gotten Seiho out of the way...
> 
> WHO'S READY FOR THE SHUTOKU MATCH?!?! I know I am! 
> 
> And you guys know what comes next? Cause Aomine sure does! The (first) Aomine vs. Kagami match! I have had that match planned out probably since chapter two. Seriously, I'm so excited, I know you guys are going to love it. That chapter is probably going to end up being, like, three times as long as all the other chapters.
> 
> (I promise the next chapter will both be longer and will not take...five months? No, wait, eight. *winces* I'm really sorry, I had no idea it'd been that long.)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shutoku match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohmygosh guys, thank you so so sooooo much for all your kinds words! Your comments give me new life whenever I hit a stall in this story. Seriously, I cannot express my love for you all enough. <3 <3 <3

Aomine felt more focused on this game than any game he’d been a part of in the past two years. Though he fought to keep his expression of indifference up for Satsuki’s sake, it was a thin mask that was easy to see through. His fingers trembled before he locked them together, leaning forward in his seat and settling his elbows on his knees. His hooded gaze was focused on the ball and the referee was taking onto the court. 

The Shutoku-Seiren match was about to begin. 

This was it. This was going to be the determiner. Kagami’s first real match-up against one of the Miracles. 

Momoi had a smile on her face, nearly vibrating with glee at the intensity she could feel emanating from the teen beside her. A hush fell over the crowd as the ball was tossed into the air. Aomine’s breath caught. 

Seiren won the ball and Kagami was off down the court, red eyes blazing. Aomine twitched, squeezing his fingers tighter as he watched Midorima rush to defend. A hint of bitterness crept into his throat as he watched Kagami’s shot be blocked, watched the green-haired teen sink a perfect three. He sighed. 

Aomine only shut his eyes for a moment, fighting back the urge to give up this hope he’d been so reluctant to let build in the first place. It was only the first play. Kagami had plenty of time to prove himself. A game like basketball would never be decided with the first play. 

A gasp echoed through the crowd, making Aomine open his eyes quickly to look down on the court. He stared in surprise at seeing Kagami with the ball again already, the redhead jumping up high and slamming it down for a dunk with a loud roar. 

_What…_ He thought in confusion, following Kagami’s triumphant gaze to a familiar head of powder blue. _Tetsu._

Aomine looked away quickly, mouth pinched unhappily. His heart thumped hollowly, his chest aching. It was stupid to get so affected just by the sight of the other, especially since he’d seen him in the Seiho match before. His eyes strayed to the bright grin Kagami was wearing, the familiar ease the two moved on the court with. His mouth felt dry as it finally hit him. 

Kagami was Kuroko’s new light. _Of course he is,_ Aomine thought, chewing on his bottom lip. He’d known Seiren was Kuroko’s school, had even encouraged Kagami to look for him. Still it…he hadn’t realized how much it’d sting to realize he’d been replaced. 

“Kagamin’s doing well,” Momoi observed quietly, sensing Aomine’s lapse in attention. He pulled himself out of his thoughts, focusing back on the game. 

“Time out! Shutoku!” 

Aomine frowned, watching the teams come in for rehydration as the coaches spoke with them. 

“Changing tactics?” Momoi mused aloud curiously. 

“They’ve got something to handle Tetsu,” Aomine pointed out quietly. As much trouble as Kagami was giving Midorima, it was obvious that Kuroko was the one applying the real strain at the moment. But for all that, Shutoku didn’t seem worried. 

“With Midorin on the team, it’d make sense if they’ve already prepared something to combat Tetsu-kun’s play,” Momoi agreed. 

When the teams returned to the game, it didn’t take long for the change to be obvious. 

“They switched marks,” Momoi murmured, intelligent eyes taking in the change up and its potential ramifications. She frowned. “Hmm...Tetsu-kun can’t misdirect him. Takao-kun.” 

Aomine hummed in acknowledgment, eyes on Kagami now. The redhead had an odd look on his face as he moved to fight back against Midorima as best he could. Aomine couldn’t quite place it. 

Midorima went for another shot, the swish causing a ruckus among the crowd. Kagami wasn’t going to be showed up, however, rushing across the court to pull a surprising one-man alley-oop. Aomine wished he hadn’t seen Midorima’s response coming, but he wasn’t surprised as the green-haired teen snatched the ball and got into his formation from the complete opposite end of the court, letting the ball leave his fingers seconds before the timer rang for the end of the quarter. 

It went in. Of course it went in. 

“13-19,” Momoi murmured thoughtfully. 

“Shutoku’s going to lead the entire first half,” Aomine predicted. “If Seiren’s going to make a turn around, it’ll be during the second half.” 

Momoi glanced at him curiously before turning back to the match, both of them watching silently as Midorima immediately started off the new quarter with another three. 

“He’s annoyed,” Aomine deduced. He watched as another three sailed through the basket. “If Kagami doesn’t stop him, he’s not going to stop until Seiren’s crushed.” 

“But Kagamin can stop him…right?” she asked quietly, hesitantly. 

Aomine was silent for a moment, watching the redhead running back and forth, trying to block Midorima’s shots. His expression from before was even more pronounced, the emotion behind it hinting on Aomine’s mind as he tried to place it. It wasn’t until the end of the first half that he managed to, however. As Midorima’s final three of the second quarter swished through the net, Kagami had paused beneath the net. He had a bold grin on his face, a flame burning in his eyes. He broke into laughter, openly challenging Midorima with his body language even if Aomine couldn’t hear what he was saying. Excitement. Anticipation. Exhilaration. 

Fun. 

Kagami was having fun. Genuine fun. Even playing someone as seemingly stronger than him as Midorima, even staring at an almost doubled score going into the second half, he was happy. 

“Yeah,” Aomine spoke on an exhale, answering Momoi’s earlier question. “Yeah, he can stop him,” he declared, suddenly more sure of that statement than he had any reason to be. 

Kagami was a fresh-start, had only been playing for a few months. Seiren was a young team, not a single, well-seasoned third-year among them. Midorima was a tough match-up, angry especially. Their secret weapon—Kuroko—was currently shut down. 

“He’s _going_ to stop him,” Aomine corrected himself. 

_I’ll accept nothing less of my rival._

\-----break----- 

Aomine could barely sit still during the intermission, leg jiggling anxiously. He wasn’t doubting Kagami’s talent, but Midorima was a tough match-up for him to be facing so early in his basketball career. 

“I hope Tetsu-kun can figure out some way to get past Takao-kun,” Satsuki pouted from beside him. Aomine rolled his eyes. 

“Tetsu will be fine,” he assured distractedly. “He’s probably studying some videos of that guy right now, figuring out his weaknesses with those freaky all-seeing eyes of his.” He shivered. 

Satsuki nodded. “You’re right. Tetsu-kun won’t give up so easily.” 

When the teams returned for the start of the second half, it was pretty obvious Kuroko hadn’t come up with a plan yet. But there was another obvious change on the court. 

As Midorima’s shot swirled around the rim before falling into the basket, Aomine felt a grin creeping onto his face. 

“He tapped it,” he murmured, pleased. 

Satsuki watched the smirk working its way onto his face and she couldn’t help but smile herself. She was seeing hope in his eyes for the first time in forever, could feel an eagerness to get on the court that had been gone for a while. 

The next shot Midorima had lined up, Aomine couldn’t fight the short laugh that erupted from his chest as Kagami touched the ball again, throwing Midorima’s perfect shot off. He didn’t even care to watch what the end result was, too hyped up on seeing Midorima’s stunned face and Kagami’s broad grin. 

“Now it’s a match,” Aomine grinned. The redhead on the court soared above the other players to make another score, promptly turning around and blocking one of Midorima’s shots only seconds later. 

After making a few more impressive jumps, however, Aomine frowned. 

“What’s wrong?” Momoi asked, studying the court and trying to see what had the other suddenly unhappy. She spotted the problem nearly instantly, biting her bottom lip worriedly. “Oh.” 

“His stamina,” Aomine muttered, mentally cursing. Since Kagami had only been playing for a couple of months, it made since that he didn’t have a long stamina. Honestly he was kind of impressed that he’d lasted as long as he had, considering Seiren had already played a complete game and now he was matching up against a Miracle. Seeing the third quarter come to a close with Shutoku still fourteen points in the lead, Aomine couldn’t help the doubt that began to creep into his mind. 

Kagami was stewing on the bench, the aura around him angry and wild but worn. Aomine wasn’t sure if he could see the redhead making a comeback from this. He was shocked from his thoughts however as he saw Tetsu punch the teen straight in the face. He blinked once, twice, confused. Kagami jumped up after the hit, roaring his anger and snatching the front of Kuroko’s jersey. Aomine tensed, eyes narrowed and fingers clenching around his seat. 

But then the anger dissipated. It was a like magic. Or, Kuroko’s brand of magic, he supposed. Kagami’s shoulders, his posture, even his aura calmed down to a steady thrum of contained power. Whatever Kuroko had said had gotten the redhead back into the game. It wasn’t over. 

“We shouldn’t have doubted Tetsu-kun,” Satsuki murmured at his side. “He must have a plan.” 

Aomine hummed his agreement. They watched the final quarter begin with bated breath. 

Kagami’s first jump was a bluff, Aomine could tell it instantly. He silently hoped that was just because he’d played the redhead so much and that Midorima wouldn’t catch on quite as quickly. When the crowd gasped in surprise, however, he turned his attention from the redhead, searching for the familiar powder blue. He knew from experience that only Kuroko could pull that kind of reaction for a crowd so easily and he wasn’t disappointed. Seeing Kagami catch Kuroko’s fast pass brought a twinge of nostalgia and loss echo through him, even as Kagami used what was probably his last jump to dunk the ball over Midorima’s head. 

“He’s done,” Momoi observed quietly at his side, voice reluctant. 

“Not yet,” Aomine denied vehemently, seeing that Kagami’s passion hadn’t lessened in the slightest. “He’s not done yet.” 

Momoi was struck with shock at the statement, no longer watching the game as she instead took to watching the boy beside her. His eyes were flashing across the court, tracking the ball’s movement as well as the teens running around the court. He had an intensity in his eyes, a solid focus that read as anything but bored. Aomine was wide awake and perfectly in-tune with this game, fingers twitching nervously with every point scored. 

Momoi checked the score, breath cut short at the 76 to 78 glowing up on the board. There was less than three minutes left. It was going to be close. 

“They’ve caught on,” Aomine grumbled as Shutoku broke from a time-out and Midorima immediately went for a three, the ball swishing perfectly as usual with Kagami unable to jump to block him. 

76 to 81. 

Aomine had disregarded the other players, more out of habit at this point than any actual measurement of their skills, so he was surprised when another teen from Seiren scored a three in response. 

79 to 81. 

Aomine nearly stopped breathing when the ball was called out and the same Seiren player made another three as soon as it was back in play. 

82 to 81. Seiren was in the lead for the first time since the first quarter with only three seconds remaining. 

He wished. He wished so badly that he didn’t know what was about to happen. He’d never been more frustrated at a Miracle than right then. Kagami was _so close_ , but as the ball slid into Midorima’s hands and the boy crouched for a final three, Aomine’s chest clenched painfully. Kagami was the only member of Seiren who reacted fast enough, rushing to block, straining his worn-out muscles to pull off one final impossible jump. 

Momoi gasped, hand covering her mouth in horror. “A fake.” 

Suddenly, the ball went flying from Midorima’s hands, where he was holding it low and preparing to take another shot. Aomine didn’t need to look to know what had happened. 

“82 to 81,” he breathed out. His hands shook slightly as he watched Seiren break into cheers, celebrating their win. The crowd followed soon after. Aomine’s mouth twitched, grin widening before he broke into laughter. He’d won. He’d _won._

“He won,” he stated, turning to Momoi. 

She nodded, beaming, eyes prickling with water at the brightness in his eyes. Hope shone clearly through his face and she wished with all she was that this was it, that Kagami wouldn’t let him down. 

He jumped to his feet, turning to face Momoi directly, grinning. “Satsuki, he _won_ ,” he repeated. 

“Yeah, he did,” she said, almost getting choked up. 

_Please be the one, Kagami Taiga. Please be the rival he’s been waiting for._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...three months is much better than eight months, right? Hey, I shaved five months off the wait time, that's gotta mean something. And it's around four hundred words longer, so I kept both of my promises, technically. :)
> 
> So who's happy about the Shutoku match? God, that was so much fun to write. Once I got into it, it practically wrote itself, haha. And next is a weekend at Kagami's! Fun fun fun!


	12. Chapter 12

Kagami was doing his best to keep a straight face as the team left the locker room after having showered and changed. His calves were throbbing, his feet aching, and he felt like his legs could give out from under him at any moment. He tried to casually keep his hand to the wall, hoping the support would at least keep him from falling over. He didn’t need the rest of the team realizing just how far he’d pushed it. 

Kuroko frowned slightly as he took in this scene, but he was cut off before he could say anything by a shout from down the hall. 

“Tetsu-kun!” 

Kuroko barely had time to turn around before he was attacked by a pink blur. 

“I knew you’d win!” Momoi cheered, hugging him tightly. 

“Uh…” the other players stared in surprise at the scene. 

“Momoi…san…please…” Kuroko managed out, having trouble breathing with her tight hold. 

“Oi, Satsuki, let him go,” another voice drawled lazily. 

“Oops! Sorry,” she giggled, releasing the other with a bright grin. “I’m just so happy for you! Congratulations!” 

Kuroko inhaled deeply, catching his breath. “This is Momoi-san and Aomine-san,” Kuroko introduced politely after a moment, nodding at Aomine. He was honestly unsure of what to say to the teen after everything. 

“Aomine!” Hyuuga thankfully interrupted, now understanding why he had been getting such a strong aura off the other. Riko’s eyes narrowed with challenge as she began to size up the opponent for their next match. 

“We came to watch your match,” Momoi stated. “Aomine-kun wanted to make sure Kagamin was going to win.” 

Aomine scoffed. “Like it matters, since I’ll just wipe the court with him next week anyways.” 

“Bring it, Aho!” Kagami growled, red eyes blazing. “Like I’ll let you win!” 

Aomine laughed, even as he noticed the other leaning heavily against the wall. He’d been right then; Kagami had pushed himself too far in the game. His legs were probably shot. 

Kuroko watched his previous and current light speculatively. It’d been a while since he’d seen Aomine, but the other didn’t seem to have changed too much. Though Kuroko thought he could almost see some hints of anticipation thrumming through him. But how did Kagami and Aomine know each other? 

“Well we know you’re all tired, and we really did want to congratulate you,” Momoi began, “But I also wanted to ask if Tetsu-kun would walk me home, since Aomine-kun’s spending the night with Kagamin.” 

_“What?!”_ The entire team exclaimed, short of Kuroko. The shadow’s eyes did widen in surprise, however. 

“Of course, Momoi-san,” Kuroko agreed, knowing he’d be able to get more information on how his two lights knew each other on the walk home. 

“Let’s head to your place and you can make teriyaki burgers,” Aomine suggested to Kagami, ignoring the rest of the team. 

The redhead snorted, rolling his eyes. “I’m not cooking shit for you tonight. We’ll just stop by Maji’s.” 

The team blinked at the casual conversation between the two Aces, trying to understand how they’d met each other, let alone why they seemed to be such good friends. 

“Whatever,” Aomine shrugged off. 

“Hey, I’ll see you guys on Monday!” Kagami waved, pushing away from the wall and gritting his teeth at the strain on his calves, forcing a grin. 

“Okay, but don’t you dare step on the court for the rest of the weekend! You need to let your legs rest!” Riko ordered. 

“I know, I know,” Kagami agreed, shuffling down the hall. “Bye!” 

“Later, Tetsu. Satsuki,” Aomine drawled. 

Kagami was grateful that Aomine didn’t seem to be in too big of a hurry, his pace slow and stride not quite as long. He was able to keep up without causing too much of a strain on his legs, though his feet and calves still throbbed with every step onto the concrete. The moment they got around the corner and were no longer visible to the team, however, Aomine moved closer, throwing his arm around his shoulder. 

“You’re an idiot,” Aomine commented, looking straight ahead even as Kagami grasped at the other’s side, letting Aomine take some of his weight off of his feet. “You really screwed your legs up.” 

“I’ll be fine once I can sit down,” Kagami argued, not even bothering to deny what he was sure the other had noticed since he’d walked up to the team. 

“If you aren’t careful you’re not going to be able to play next week,” Aomine scowled at the thought. 

“You think I don’t know that?” Kagami grumbled, hand clenching against the other’s side when a twinge ran up his right leg and he stumbled. Aomine just barely managed to keep them both from falling. “I need to work on my stamina.” 

“You need to rest first,” Aomine argued. “No rival of mine is going to get themselves thrown out the game before I even get the chance to beat them.” 

Kagami huffed, frustrated. Not for the first time, he wished he’d thought to start playing earlier, while he had still been in America. Maybe if he had, he would’ve had more of a chance now. 

The stop at Maji was quick, and from there Kagami’s home wasn’t far. As soon as they stepped inside, Kagami collapsed onto the sofa, groaning. 

“Oi, don’t go to sleep yet. Ice your legs,” Aomine ordered, setting the food on the table. 

“Don’t wanna move,” Kagami grumbled. 

Aomine rolled his eyes, heading into the kitchen to grab a couple ice packs and some hand towels. He wrapped them up before going to fetch a couple pillows too. When he returned, he stacked them on the coffee table, setting the ice packs down and laying the towels over them. “Lift ‘em,” he instructed. Kagami sluggishly followed the instruction, hissing as his legs hit the cold that, thanks to the towels, wasn’t quite intolerable. 

“Thanks,” Kagami offered tiredly. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Aomine waved off, fighting down a wave of heat that tried to stain his face. He turned away just in case it was visible, going back into the kitchen to grab them something to drink. 

“Now I seem to recall someone telling you that you wouldn’t be moving much this weekend,” Aomine teased as he returned with two glasses of water, handing one to the other before taking a seat on the other side of the couch. “And I also seem to remember someone saying they would show me up and wanted to play me tomorrow.” 

Kagami glared at him. “I’ll be fine once I get some rest. We’re still on for tomorrow.” 

Aomine snorted. “Okay. Sure.” 

Kagami glowered but didn’t comment further as the other flipped on the TV and grabbed their bags of food, tossing Kagami’s towards him. He figured the best proof would be tomorrow when they hit the court. 

Aomine switched through the channels, pausing whenever something caught his eye. Somehow it was nice though, just the two of them eating in silence, the TV a soft murmur in the background. Once they finished Aomine balled all their trash in one bag and left it on the floor to throw away later. Kagami shot it a look but didn’t comment, too tired to do it himself or to try and argue with Aomine to get him to do it. 

Aomine stopped for just a second on some movie were a girl was walking away from the screen calmly. Before he had the chance to turn it, the girl turned suddenly, face an eerie expression as she full-out sprinted towards the screen while making a sudden, god-awful screech. Aomine startled, chucking the remote in instinct. Kagami flinched as well, just as surprised, before moaning pathetically, his leg muscles painfully disagreeing with the sudden tenseness. 

“Ow, ow, ow,” Kagami hissed. “Fuck. Why the hell did you put it on that?” he grumbled. 

Aomine was scrambling to grab the remote, flipping to a baseball game before sitting down again. “How was I supposed to know that was going to happen?” he growled back, trying to convince his heart to calm down again. He glanced over at the redhead, seeing him almost curl in on himself in pain. He stood and headed to the bathroom, grabbing a couple pain pills before returning. Kagami swallowed them dry. 

“Thank you,” he murmured, eyes blinking heavily as he fought against falling asleep on the couch. 

“Come on, you lug,” Aomine grumbled, moving to help the other stand. “You’re useless,” he accused, practically dragging the exhausted redhead towards his room. 

“Shut up,” Kagami muttered sleepily against his shoulder as he stood pressed against Aomine’s side, arm around his waist for balance. Aomine shivered at the feel of the other’s warm breath wafting over his neck, opening the door to Kagami’s room with his free hand. 

“Moocher,” Aomine griped, sitting Kagami down on the bed. 

“You still owed me a dinner from Maji,” Kagami murmured, falling to let his head hit his pillow. “We’ll call us even now.” 

“How do you even remember that from that long ago?” Aomine wondered aloud, moving to back out of the room. 

Kagami’s lips quirked up at the corner, and the only reason Aomine stopped to stare at it was because the other’s eyes were closed and he was near-dead to the world. 

“‘Night, Aho,” Kagami managed to say softly, taking in a deep breath before sighing and falling into slumber. Aomine felt his face heat up again. 

“Baka.” 

\-----break----- 

Kagami yawned widely, sliding his legs over the side of the bed as he sat up. His calves ached with the soreness of well-used muscles, but they didn’t hurt. Clearly he’d just needed a good rest then. He smiled slightly to himself, standing and stretching before heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Then he headed to start breakfast. 

“Why are you awake?” a deep voice groaned sleepily from the living room as Kagami dug out a pan. 

“It’s ten. You need to wake up anyways,” Kagami shouted back unsympathetically. 

“It’s _Saturday,_ ” Aomine whined back, the sound of shuffling followed by silence told Kagami he wasn’t getting up. The redhead grinned spitefully, dropped the pan onto the stove loudly before grabbed a metal bowl and whisk to scramble the eggs. 

“You’re an asshole,” Aomine hissed ten minutes later as he shuffled into the kitchen, sitting on a stool and wrapping his blanket around him tighter to fight the morning chill. He yawned hugely and his eyes blinked sluggishly, perfecting the picture with a pout at the ‘early’ waking. 

“I’m the person feeding you,” Kagami pointed out, raising a brow daringly. 

Aomine sighed unapologetically. “Couldn’t you feed me two hours from now?” 

“We need to be on the court by then,” Kagami argued, flipping over an omelet. 

Aomine reclined onto the counter, arms pillowing his head as he raised a surprised brow. “You feel like playing today?” he asked drowsily. 

“Of course,” Kagami huffed, rolled his eyes and setting a plate with two omelets and bacon on it beside Aomine’s head. He also set a bowl of miso soup on the counter before going back to fixing his own omelets. He idly stretched onto his toes, feeling sore muscles pull tightly before dropping back down to his heels. He’d be fine for a short game, first to twenty, maybe. And there was a whole week between now and Touou and Serien’s game next week; he’d have plenty of time to rest up before then. 

“Fine, fine,” Aomine grumbled, munching on an end of bacon. “Just don’t do anything stupid that’ll mess up our game next week.” 

“I know my own limits, Aho,” Kagami stated, done with his own plate and turning the heat off, choosing to stand across from the other instead of going around to take a seat at the counter. He shoved nearly half of an omelet in his mouth in one bite, making Aomine scrunch his nose in distaste. 

“You better.” He polished off the rest of his breakfast before getting up and heading down the hall. “I’m borrowing some of your shorts,” he called out. Kagami sighed, finishing up his own meal. 

“Yeah, whatever,” Kagami agreed, moving to wash the dishes. He was almost done washing the dishes by the time Aomine returned, looking more alert. He moved to dry off some of the wet dishes to make room in the strainer for the ones Kagami was still washing. 

“Took a shirt too,” He informed Kagami, like the redhead couldn’t tell. He rolled his eyes. 

“Just don’t tell me you used my toothbrush.” 

“Oh shut it, that’s nasty,” Aomine said, shoving Kagami lightly and making water splash on the redhead’s shirt. Kagami hissed, turning to glare at the other but he quickly lost steam at the teasing smirk on the other’s lips. 

“Oi, finish these up,” he ordered, drying his hands and walking away. 

“Hey! I’m a guest! You’re not supposed to make me wash dishes!” Aomine shouted in affront. 

Kagami laughed loudly, the sound easy to hear even from down the hall. Aomine fought the rush of warmth he felt fluttering in his chest at the sound. 

“You slept at my house, ate my food, and are wearing my clothes; you can wash a couple dishes!” Kagami yelled, amusement clear in his voice. Aomine’s face heated further and he turned to busy himself with the few remaining dishes. 

“There. That didn’t hurt, did it?” Kagami asked when he returned to see the dishes done and Aomine wiping off the counter. Aomine scoffed, glancing over at him before tossing the rag back into the sink. 

“Let’s just get out of here so I can kick your ass already.” 

Kagami grinned dangerously, eyes blazing with challenge. “Bring it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happpy AoKaga month!!! In honor of said month, I made myself sit down and write until I had something to post for you all. I'm already working on the next chapter, so while I realize this one might not be the most exciting of chapters, the next one should be coming sooner rather than later. I have so much fun with this one, like you guys don't even know. I'm really happy you all seem to be enjoying it too! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! <3 <3 <3


	13. Chapter 13

Kagami dribbled the ball idly as he waited for Aomine to be ready for their match. He went for a simple shot from the three-point line, though he winced when the movement strained his calf muscles. The ball hit the hoop before bouncing away, but Kagami was less concerned with it and more concerned with his leg. 

“Oi,” Aomine called, leaning down the pick up the ball. Kagami turned to face him. “You ready?” 

Kagami frowned, trying to determine the damage without the other knowing. There was no way Aomine would play him if he thought his legs were too hurt. 

“I suppose this one will be a test,” Aomine continued, smirking. “To see just how much of a challenge you’re going to be next week. Maybe you’ll even be able to keep things interesting.” 

Kagami scowled. “Fuck you, asshole,” he spat, ignoring the twinge his leg gave him as he moved into a defensive position. “I’ll crush you.” 

\-----break----- 

Kagami panted, feeling sweat sliding down the side of his face and glaring at Aomine who was dribbling nonchalantly in front of him. _The bastard isn’t even winded,_ Kagami thought with disbelief. _Is the gap between us still so great?_

Aomine fought back a sigh, taking in Kagami’s exhausted form. The redhead may have pulled off some impressive moves on the court yesterday, but it was easy to tell that he hadn’t recovered yet. His legs were trembling, regardless of whatever Kagami did to try and hide it, and Aomine knew it’d be best if they ended the game now. He hated that it was still this easy for him to beat Kagami, but he supposed it was to be expected. This didn’t give him high hopes about the game next week. 

_If Kagami doesn’t get stronger he’s never going to be able to beat me,At this point, even with Tetsu he won’t be able to beat me._ He frowned minutely, thinking about the game from yesterday. 

“If you’re going to replace me as Tetsu’s light, you’re going to need to step it up,” Aomine commented. He mentally winced. That…could’ve come out a bit nicer. But maybe he was still a bit bitter about being replaced. 

Kagami’s brows furrowed and he frowned. 

“Tetsu’s a shadow,” Aomine continued; it was almost like he couldn’t stop now that he’d started. “He needs a light for his misdirection to work, and the stronger the light, the darker the shadow.” Aomine dribbled once before rushing forward, ready to end this game just as much as he was ready to end this conversation. He didn’t bother holding back, speeding past Kagami before the other could even react. His chest ached that he was still able to do that, still able to bypass the one who was supposed to be his rival so easily. “Your light’s too dim,” he murmured, disappointment thrumming through him at the idea that maybe he was wrong. Maybe this really was the best Kagami could ever offer. He tossed the ball carelessly in the air, making a basket without even really aiming, ending their game. 

Aomine stared down at his feet, lost in the spiral of depressing thoughts. He was quickly brought back to present though by Kagami’s loud laughter. 

“What the hell,” Kagami gasped out between laughs, “was that?” Aomine turned to face him, confused. “My light is too dim? Seriously?” Kagami couldn’t contain himself, remembering the other’s somber expression and serious voice from early. “Do you listen to the shit you say?” 

Aomine’s face reddened and he scowled, turning away from the other and stomping over to collect the ball. “Shut up,” he grumbled, embarrassed. He startled when Kagami tossed an arm around his neck unexpectedly, still chuckling a bit. 

“You’re an idiot,” Kagami commented, grinning fondly. “So I can’t beat you right now. That just means I need to train more,” he shrugged. Aomine rolled his eyes, shoving the other off of him. 

“And rest up,” he added, pointedly looking to the other’s calves. “Don’t think I didn’t notice. You’re limping again.” 

Kagami’s grin turned sheepish and he glanced away. “I wanted to play you,” he explained simply. 

“Well you can wait until next week,” Aomine decided as they walked to collect their stuff. 

Kagami chuckled to himself. “That’s fine. I’d hate to strain my legs any more than they already are.” He grinned slyly at Aomine from the corner of his eye. “Might make my light dimmer.” 

Aomine instantly blushed, covering his face with his hand and fighting between hiding his face and glaring at the other. 

Kagami just laughed. 

\-----break----- 

Kagami was definitely pouting, no matter what the redhead said. Not that anyone was going to call him out on it, but whether it was pointed out or not, there was a distinct sullen expression on the ace’s face as he watched Seiren going through the drills. Having been caught practicing over the weekend, Kagami had been delegated to the bench until Coach said otherwise. 

“Come on!” she yelled, frustration mounting. Pulling a win against Shutoku had done wonders for morale, but she wasn’t so foolish as to think they were ready to take on Touou as they were. Kagami’s jumps were the natural antitheses to Midorima’s threes; that, coupled with Shutoku’s underestimation of them, was what lead them to victory. Touou was different. Their set up was almost exactly like Seiren’s own, though each member’s base stats ranked higher. Kuroko would always be a hidden weapon that no one would truly be fully prepared for until they faced him, but with Aomine on the team, Touou was as sure to have an answer to him just as Shutoku had. And speaking on Aomine… 

Riko’s eyes narrowed as she glanced at the redhead sitting at her side, scowling. They’d been facing bad enough odds going into this, but if Kagami and Aomine knew and played each other on the regular, then that meant there wouldn’t be much the redhead could pull to surprise the other. And while it did mean that Kagami would also be familiar with Aomine’s style, that wouldn’t give them the advantage if Aomine was still too fast for Kagami to match. 

She frowned, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully. This was all around an impossible situation. She wished they had another month or two before facing Touou. Her eyes slid down to Kagami’s calves, seeing the muscles twitching minutely. His numbers were depressingly low. If he didn’t rest up, they really wouldn’t stand a chance. 

She turned her attention back to the team, watching Hyuuga lead the others into another formation utilizing Kuroko’s passes. She let them finish the play before blowing the whistle, calling them in. It was never too late to start strategizing. 

\-----break----- 

Kagami sat in his apartment anxiously, staring at the game on the screen but not focusing on it. Tomorrow was it. Seiren’s match against Touou. He could hardly wait. 

His feet bounced on the ground before he forced himself to stop, flinching at the mild twinge he could still feel in the muscles. He’d really overexerted himself in the Shutoku game. 

He looked down at the phone in his hands. He hadn’t heard from Aomine since the previous weekend; no doubt because the other had been practicing as hard as Seiren had. Despite everything he’d heard, surely Aomine had enough respect for him not to blow off practice for the whole week before their first real match. Though, if their past matches were any measure, it wasn’t looking good for him… 

Kagami shook his head, pushing the thoughts from his mind. No. Seiren was going to win tomorrow. He was going to win tomorrow. He’d beat Aomine and then they’d both have fun; that’s what he promised. That’s what he was going to do. 

\-----break----- 

Aomine sighed, staring up at the blue sky. Today was it. In just a couple hours he’d be facing Kagami in an official game. He felt anticipation thrumming weakly within his veins, but mostly all he could feel was dread. How many ‘rivals’ had he had, only to have them throw ‘monster’ in his face as soon as he used any level of effort? How many times has his heart swelled with hope only for it to be crushed in despair once more? He wanted so badly to have faith that he’d found his true rival in Kagami, but the track record did not lie. The redhead had not managed to beat him in a single one of their practice matches. And losing in a practice match was one thing, but how would Kagami react to an official loss? Seiren had a good winning streak going on and the thought of being the reason it ended tasted bitter on his tongue. 

He easily pictured Kagami’s determined face, blazing red eyes sparking with defiance, and did his best to memorize it. It had been nice to have someone so unwavering in their challenge, even if only for a little while. He’d enjoyed spending time with the other, whether they’d been playing basketball or just goofing off at Kagami’s apartment. Aomine’s chest ached at the thought of losing his rival, his _friend._

Aomine shut his eyes tight, consciously slowing his breathing. It still hurt, but he could ignore it like this. It was a familiar hurt, a pain that never really went away no matter what he did. Kagami had started to soothe the ache a little, but he knew that all that would be lost the minute he stepped onto the court. 

He exhaled, soaking in the warmth the sun was bathing him in. Just a couple more hours. He pushed his troubling thoughts away, working to try and clear his mind for a moment’s reprieve. He’d just rest for another half hour or so and then he’d get up and start warming up. At the very least, he owed Kagami a proper game. Even if it would be their last one. 

\-----break----- 

Aomine jerked awake to the sound of his phone ringing. He scrambled to answer, sleep making his movements sluggish and his thoughts groggy. He barely registered the setting sun as he pulled the phone to his ear. 

_“Dai-chan!”_

Aomine flinched, pulling the phone away just as quickly, blinking at the sudden wake up call. “What?” he drawled into the phone once the other stopped screaming. 

_“Dai-chan!”_ Momoi continued, voice both worried and furious. _“The game is starting in_ ten minutes! _Where the hell are you?”_

Aomine tensed, eyes wide. He tried to swallow around the stone in his throat. Shit. No. He didn’t… “I overslept,” he spoke aloud. 

_“Over_ slept!?” Momoi screeched. 

_“Aomine-kun,”_ another voice drawled through the speaker. 

“Imayoshi-san,” he acknowledged, already standing and snatching up his stuff. 

_“How soon until you can be here?”_ his captain asked. 

Aomine jumped down the smaller ladder that brought him to the door to the stairs, mind whirling. “I can probably be there by the second half,” he figured, rushing down the stairwell. “Do what you can in the first,” he added before hanging up. 

He had to hurry. God, he felt so stupid. Kagami was probably so pissed at him, he couldn’t even imagine. 

\-----break----- 

Kagami stepped out onto the court with his team, excitement thrumming in his veins. Finally. Finally he’d get to square off against Aomine in an official match. He could barely contain himself. 

As he went to set his stuff down, he scanned Touou for the familiar shade of blue hair, frowning when he didn’t spot it. 

“Hey, excuse me,” he called to the nearby Touou player, a blonde who looked particularly pissed. “Where’s Aomine?” 

“That self-centered bastard is running late,” the blonde seethed. 

Kagami’s eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. “What?” There was no way… 

“Sorry,” Another Touou player called, this one with glasses. “He said he’d be here around the second half. I guess you could call us the opening act,” he added. “Go easy on us.” He sent them such a fake expression of pleading that Kagami wanted to punch him in the face. Or maybe that was just his rage at Aomine treating their game so lightly that he _couldn’t even be bothered to show up on time!_

Seriously, did that asshole think so little of him? Was this how much their rivalry meant to him? 

“Kagami,” Izuki called, earning the redhead’s attention. “You’ve played Aomine before, right? That hasn’t hurt your motivation, has it?” 

“No way,” Kagami growled, red eyes already blazing in their absolute wrath. “If anything, I’m pissed.” He turned to watch Touou warm-up with steely eyes. “If they’re the opening act, I’ll pull so far ahead that they don’t stand a chance of catching up, and turn their star into the _world’s biggest idiot!”_ he roared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes, some of the quotes did come directly from the show (disclaimer). I did want to include some measure of canon :) Although I'm going to go ahead and say that the game won't be going exactly how it went in canon. 
> 
> As always, thank you so much to everyone!


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